Gori
Two new asbestos lawsuits have been added to the growing list of cases in St. Clair County's asbestos docket.
Louis K. Weaver filed the 10th asbestos lawsuit of the year in St. Clair County Circuit Court while Delmar Neill filed the 11th. In their suits, Weaver and Neill fail to specify where they reside.
Weaver and Neill are represented by Randy L. Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian and Associates in Edwardsville.
As St. Clair County's asbestos docket continues to grow with out-of-state plaintiffs, defendants await an appellate court ruling which challenges orders from former Circuit Judge Patrick Young, who accepted cases from Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania a day before he retired last December.
In his complaint filed March 22, Weaver alleges 52 defendant companies caused him to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career.
Weaver worked as a welder at Bolland Marine from 1968 until 1969, as a welder at Dixie Machine from 1970 until 1975, as a boilermaker/pipefitter at Buck Krish from 1970 until 1980 and as a laborer at Shell Oil Company, according to the complaint.
In his complaint filed March 22, Neill claims at least 23 defendant companies caused him to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career.
The defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for Weaver's and Neill's safety, the suits state.
As a result of their asbestos-related diseases, Weaver and Neill became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaints say. In addition, they became prevented from pursuing their normal courses of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to them, they claim.
In his nine-count complaint, Weaver is seeking compensatory damages of more than $100,000, a judgment of more than $50,000, economic damages of more than $150,000 and punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000, plus punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish Sprinkmann Insulation and Sprinkmann Sons Corporation and to deter them from committing similar actions in the future and other relief the court deems just.
In his five-count complaint, Neill is seeking compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000 and a judgment of more than $50,000, plus punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish Sprinkmann Insulation and Sprinkmann Sons Corporation and to deter them from committing similar actions in the future.
At the appellate court in Mount Vernon, justices are hearing an appeal made by defendants in several asbestos cases filed by out of state plaintiffs in St. Clair County. The defendants are arguing that St. Clair County is not an appropriate venue.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case numbers: 11-L-142, 11-L-145.