BELLEVILLE – The widow of a man who spent his entire working life around asbestos is suing over his death. Negligence and fraudulent misrepresentation are among the counts.
Connie C. Olson, individually and as special administrator of the estate of Michael F. Olson, filed the asbestos litigation suit March 8 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against many named defendants, including Armstrong Pumps Inc., Dow Chemical Company and Special Electric Company Inc.
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. is singled out as a defendant in this case for alleged conspiracy in squelching scientific evidence that exposure to asbestos could be deadly.
For his entire working life, until 2004, Michael Olson was exposed to and inhaled, ingested or otherwise absorbed large amounts of asbestos fibers from certain products which were manufactured, sold, distributed or installed by the defendants, the suit says.
On April 19, 2013, the defendant first became aware that he had developed lung cancer, an asbestos-induced disease, and he died on March 9, 2014, according to the suit.
Prior to his death, the deceased had become liable for large sums of money for medical costs, he experienced physical pain and mental anguish, he was hindered from pursuing his normal course of work, his family has been deprived of his means of support, and substantial sums of money were expended by his estate for funeral and burial, according to the suit.
The plaintiff seeks in excess of $50,000 for each of the eight counts against the defendants. She is represented by Randy L. Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian & Associates PC in Edwardsville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 16-L-133