BELLEVILLE—A couple is suing a number of companies after the husband developed various ailments, including lung cancer, allegedly from working around asbestos his entire career.
Donald Jordan, along with his wife Shirley Jordan, filed the suit on Jan. 6 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Crane Company, Dow Chemical Company, Honeywell International Inc., 3M Company and Union Carbide Corporation, among many other listed defendants. Also listed is Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.
From 1958 to 1994, the plaintiff worked as a welder/instrument tech at DuPont. The lawsuit alleges his exposure to asbestos fibers can be attributed to all the named defendants. On Jan. 9, 2014, the plaintiff was diagnosed with lung cancer, caused in part by asbestos exposure, the suit says.
This lawsuit alleges the defendants are guilty of negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent spoilation of evidence, and willful and wanton spoilation of evidence.
The lawsuit also alleges that Metropolitan Life Insurance Company strove to discredit or terminate the studies and experiments of scientists who were looking into the damaging effects and cancer-causing elements of asbestos.
Against Dupont specifically, the lawsuit claims fraudulent misrepresentation, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress because the corporation allegedly knew of the many dangers of asbestos exposure but did nothing to mitigate them.
The plaintiffs seek at least $50,000 from each defendant for each count against them. They are represented by Randy L. Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian & Associates PC of Edwardsville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 16-L-8