A Missouri woman has filed an asbestos suit on behalf of her recently deceased husband against 79 defendant corporations, claiming the lung cancer with which he was diagnosed was wrongfully caused.
Nancy Goetzmann claims Steven J. Goetzmann was diagnosed with the Oct. 4, 2006, and died Jan. 29, 2007, according to a lawsuit filed Oct. 1 in Madison County Circuit Court.
Nancy says her husband worked in 1970 as a laborer at John Deer Plant in Moline, form 1971 until 1982 as an electrician at International Harvester Company in East Moline and from 1979 until 1980 as an electrician at Ottumwa, according to the lawsuit.
Steven also worked from 1984 until 1996 as an electrician at General Motors in the Guide Division and from 1996 until the time of his death at General Motors in Missouri.
Nancy states Steven's exposure was foreseeable and should have been anticipated by the defendants, according to the lawsuit.
She claims his disease was caused after he was exposed to and inhaled, ingested or otherwise absorbed asbestos fibers.
Nancy alleges the asbestos-related disease caused the couple to incur substantial medical costs. Steven also experienced great physical pain and mental anguish as a result of the disease, Nancy claims in the lawsuit.
Mesothelioma hindered and prevented Steven from pursuing his normal course of employment, according to the suit.
As a result, he lost large sums of money, Nancy claims.
Because of Steven's death, his family has been deprived of his support and has lost his society, the suit states.
His family spent substantial amounts on funeral and burial costs, according to the complaint.
Nancy also claims that as a result of Steven's death, she has been deprived of his companionship, society and services.
In the 11-count lawsuit, Nancy seeks sums in excess of $200,000, economic damages in excess of $150,000 and compensatory damages in excess of $150,000, plus the cost of the suit.
She also seeks punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish Ferris Kimball Company, Sprinkmann Sons Corporation, Sprinkmann Insulation and Young Insulation Group of St. Louis for their misconduct and to deter similarly situated parties from committing like acts of misconduct in the future.
She is represented by Elizabeth V. Heller and Robert Rowland of Goldenberg, Heller, Antognoli, Rowland and Short in Edwardsville.
Asbestos complaint blames 79 corporations for lung cancer
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