Asbestos cases filed in Madison County have dropped off in the past few years. But the trend is being challenged.
During a five-day filing period betweem March 13 and March 18, lawyers from five law firms filed 20 asbestos cases, the most in a one-week period in more than two years.
And out of those 20 only four of them had plaintiffs residing in Illinois, and two either lived in Chicago or Bloomington.
A total of 1,036 summonses will have to be sent out to the defendants' named in the suits, which will cost them $122,248 just to answer the complaints.
The Madison County Circuit Clerk's Office will collect a total of $129,997 in filing fees, jury demands and answer fees.
When the value of a case exceeds $15,000.01 in Madison County, fees for filing the case are $218, jury demands are $212.50 and answer fees are $118.
The cases filed on March 13 were:
Marcella Waters of Nebraska claims she was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Dec. 6, 2007. She claims she was exposed to asbestos while working from 1946 through 1977 as a secretary. Waters also claims she was exposed to asbestos on the clothing of her husband who worked as a laborer. SimmonsCooper of East Alton represents Waters.
The estate of Mary Hazelrigg of Indiana claims Hazelrigg was exposed to asbestos during the 1970s working as a welder assistant and from the clothes of her ex-husband who worked as a laborer. Represented by SimmonsCooper, Hazelrigg was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Oct. 6, 2006, and died from the disease on April 2, 2007.
Darrel Henderson of Kansas City, Kan. claims his lung cancer was caused from working with and around asbestos during his career in the United States Navy as a printer and as a concrete laborer. Represented by the Goldenberg firm in Edwardsville, Henderson claims he was diagnosed with the cancer on Oct. 16, 2007.
Represented by the Goldenberg firm, the estate of Nancy Foster claims she died from lung cancer after working with and around asbestos from 1965-75 as a laborer and hotel housekeeper. Foster resided in Independence, Mo. at the time of her death.
Edward Kronsperger of Belleville, Mich., claims he was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Jan. 22. Represented by the Lanier Law Firm in Houston, Texas, Kronsperger enlisted in the U.S. Navy from 1956-1960, and was a material handler and maintenance man in Wayne, Mich., from 1960 until 1985. He also claims he was exposed to asbestos on the clothing of his father who worked in Dearborn, Mich., from 1938-1956.
The estate of James Price of Lebanon, Tenn., claims he was exposed to asbestos while working as a painter for Texaco, Shell Oil, Amoco, Anheuser-Busch, Chrysler and American Zinc from 1964-1993. Represented by the Goldenberg firm, Price was diagnosed with lung cancer just prior to his death on June 17, 2007.
March 14 cases
William Yeager of Jefferson City, Mo. claims he was exposed to asbestos during his 39-year career as a boilermaker in various locations in the U.S., including Cahokia. Represented by the O'Brien Law Firm in St. Louis, Yeager was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Dec. 7, 2007.
Forrest Bateman of Idaho claims he was exposed to asbestos while working as a dairy farmer, machinist and x-ray technician from 1949-1990. He also claims that he was exposed to asbestos that was on the clothes of his wife when she would come home from working as an assembly line worker at General Motors. Represented by SimmonsCooper, Bateman was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Jan. 10.
Nina Anderson of Illinois claims she was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Nov. 5, 2007. She claims she was exposed to asbestos while working in Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois from 1962 through 2008 as a laborer, waitress, key punch operator and secretary. Anderson also claims she was exposed to asbestos on the clothing of her ex-husband who has worked as a brick layer since the 1970s. She is represented by SimmonsCooper
The estate of Daniel Malcolm claims he was exposed to asbestos while working as a teacher from 1965-94 in East Peoria, Carpentersville and Bloomington. Malcolm was diagnosed with mesothelioma on March 13, 2006. Represented by Barry Julian of Alton, Malcolm also worked in a foundry in the summer of 1964.
March 17 cases
Larry Marlow of Texas claims he was diagnosed with mesothelioma on June 22, 2007, after working 41 years as a laborer. He is represented by SimmonsCooper.
The estate of Doyle Clayton claims he died from mesothelioma after working from 1956-1990 as a machinist in various locations. Represented by SimmonsCooper, Clayton resided in North Carolina at the time of his death.
The estate of Lois Nisi claims she died from mesothelioma after working as machinist for 48 years. Represented by the Goldenberg firm, Nisi resided in Chicago at the time of her death.
Gloria LaBarge of California claims she was exposed to asbestos while working from 1968 through 2008 in various occupations throughout the U.S. Represented by SimmonsCooper, LaBarge claims she was diagnosed with mesothelioma on March 27, 2007.
Roy Brown of Indiana claims his mesothelioma was caused by working with and around asbestos fibers from 1972-74 as a laborer in Indiana and Illinois. He was diagnosed with his disease on Dec. 6, 2007, and retained SimmonsCooper to represent him.
March 18 cases
John Barringer of Pennsylvania claims he was diagnosed with mesothelioma on June 6, 2007. He was employed from 1955 to 1991 in management of computers at various locations throughout Pennsylvania and also stationed at the United States Navy Terminal at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois from 1946-1947. He is represented by SimmonsCooper.
Dolores Joppa of Arkansas claims she was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Sept. 20, 2007. She was employed at Western Electric in Cicero, Ill., from 1945-1950 and by Phillips Oil in Enid, Okla., from 1950-51. She also claims she was exposed to asbestos on the clothing of her husband who worked with and around asbestos on many occasions. Joppa is represented by Mike Bilbrey of Edwardsville.
The estate of Frederick Shuberg claims he was exposed to asbestos while working as a technician from 1964 to 2004 in various locations. Shuberg was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Aug. 6, 2007. Represented by SimmonsCooper, Shuberg lived in Minnesota at the time of his death.
Lawrence Schmidt of Collinsville claims his colon cancer was caused by working with and around asbestos as a painter at various locations including the Venice Public School System. He is represented by the Goldenberg firm.
The estate of Charles Lampin, Sr., claims the St. Charles, Mo. resident was diagnosed with esophageal caner in December 2007. The estate claims he was in the United States Navy for a few years prior to joining the local electric union until his retirement in 1989. The estate is represented by the Goldenberg firm.
Madison County Circuit Judge Daniel Stack has been assigned to all of the cases.
During the past two years, there has been an average of six to eight asbestos cases filed a week.
In 2003, 953 asbestos cases were filed -- the most in a single year -- which averaged 18 cases per week.