Wisconsin woman claims husband succumbed to mesothelioma

A Wisconsin woman has filed an asbestos suit on behalf of her recently deceased husband against 109 defendant corporations, claiming the mesothelioma with which he was diagnosed was wrongfully caused.

Doris Piacentine claims Edward C. Piacentine was diagnosed with the disease March 16, 2007, and died from it May 23, according to a lawsuit filed Oct. 30 in Madison County Circuit Court.

Doris says her husband worked from 1953 until 1955 and in 1957 as a meat packer at Purdy's Steaks, from 1955 until 1957 as a corpsman, from 1957 until 1967 as a truck driver and station construction worker and from 1967 until 1996 as an electrical inspector for Milwaukee, according to the lawsuit.

Doris states Edward'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.

Doris alleges the asbestos-related disease caused the couple to incur substantial medical costs. Edward also has experienced great physical pain and mental anguish as a result of the disease, Doris claims in the lawsuit.

Mesothelioma hindered and prevented Edward from pursuing his normal course of employment, according to the suit.

As a result, he lost large sums of money, Doris claims.

Because of Edward'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.

Doris has been deprived of Edward's companionship, society and services, the suit states.

In the 11-count lawsuit, Doris seeks sums in excess of $150,000, economic damages in excess of $200,000 and compensatory damages in excess of $150,000.

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 Randy L. Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian and Associates in Alton.