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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Plaintiff claims lung cancer in St. Clair County asbestos suit

Gori

Another suit has been added St. Clair County's asbestos docket.

Betty Ruth Rhodes filed an asbestos lawsuit in St. Clair County Circuit Court on Jan. 6 against 65 defendant corporations. Rhodes does not specify where she resides.

Rhodes will be represented by Randy L. Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian and Associates in Edwardsville.

In her complaint, Rhodes alleges the defendant companies caused her to develop lung cancer after her exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout her career.

The complaint does not indicate where Rhodes resides, however it states that she worked as a laborer from 1958 until 1990 at Borg Warner in Illinois, at Speedway Manufacturing in Illinois and at Rhodes Camper Sale, according to the complaint.

Rhodes claims she was also secondarily exposed to asbestos fibers through her father and husband, who would bring them home on his clothes after work. Rhodes's father worked as a laborer at International Harvester in Illinois while her husband worked as a millwright from 1956 until 1970 at Reynolds Metal Company, as a millwright at ITT from 1970 until 1972 and as a millwright at Alcoa from 1972 until 1992, the suit states.

The defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiff's safety, the suit states.

As a result of her asbestos-related disease, Rhodes became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaint says. In addition, she became prevented from pursuing her normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to her, she claims.

In her nine-count complaint, Rhodes is seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, economic damages of more than $150,000 and punitive and exemplary damages of more than $150,000, plus other relief the court deems just.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 12-L-12.

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