Gori
Three more asbestos lawsuits have been added to the growing list of cases in St. Clair County's asbestos docket.
John Weir filed the sixth St. Clair County Circuit Court asbestos lawsuit of the year while James and Susan Keller filed the seventh and Susan and Kenneth Brockfiled the eighth. None of the plaintiffs specify in which state they currently reside.
In their complaint filed March 10, the Kellers allege nine defendant companies caused James Keller to develop pleural plaques after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career.
James Keller worked as a lifeguard at a YMCA from 1969 until 1971; as an assistant team manager at Roadway Express until 1977; as an assistant terminal manager in 1978; as a laborer, estimator and vice president at James A. Keller Inc. from 1969 until 1994; and as the vice president and owner of Grayhawk from 1994 until now, according to the complaint.
According to the Brocks' March 10 complaint filed against 10 defending companies, Susan Brock developed lung cancer after her work as a kitchen server at Lutheran Hospital from 1966 until 1969, as a packer and assembler at General Electric Co. from 1969 until 1974, as a machine operator at Harvester from 1976 until 1981, as a painter at Rosener Decorating from 1983 until 1986, as a truck driver and loader at Purolator Courier from 1986 until 1989, as a package handler and courier at Fed Ex from 1989 until 1997, as a driver for Statewide Medical from 1998 until 1999 and as a truck driver from 1999 until 2007.
In Weir's March 10 complaint against 13 defendant companies, he claims to have developed lung cancer after his work for the U.S. Army from 1973 until 1974, as a boiler builder at Mike Russo Plumbing in the 1970s, as a worker coating pipes with asbestos for Weinstein in the 1970s and as an insulator at J.A. Croson from 1984 until 1986.
The defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for James Keller's, Susan Brock's and Weir's safety, the suit states.
As a result of their asbestos-related diseases, James Keller, Susan Brock and Weir became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaints say. In addition, they claim they became prevented from pursuing their normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to them.
Susan Keller and Kenneth Brock claim they have been deprived of their spouses' companionship and society.
In their six-count suit, the Kellers seek a judgment of more than $200,000 and compensatory damages of more than $100,000, plus other relief the court deems just. They also seek unspecified punitive damages in an amount sufficient to deter the defendants from similar conduct in the future.
In their 10-count complaint, the Brocks seek a judgment of more than $100,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, unspecified punitive damages in an amount sufficient to deter the defendants from similar conduct in the future, more than $150,000 in punitive and exemplary damages and more than $150,000 in economic damages, plus other relief the court deems just.
In his five-count complaint, Weir seeks compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive damages in an amount sufficient to deter the defendants from similar conduct in the future, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000 and a judgment of more than $50,000, plus other relief the court deems just.
Randy L. Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian and Associates in Edwardsville will be representing all the plaintiffs.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case numbers: 10-L-111, 10-L-112, 10-L-113.