EDWARDSVILLE – Multiple estate administrators have sued over the alleged wrongful deaths of their family members, alleging the deaths were caused by environmental contamination.
Gene Maxwell, special administrator of the estate of Betty Jean Maxwell, et. al., filed the suit April 12 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Cerro Flow Products, and other listed defendants.
This suit alleges that an affected area in St. Clair County was knowingly contaminated by actions of the defendants. The deceased plaintiffs lived in the affected area, according to the complaint.
Cerro Flow Products, which engaged in copper recycling at the site, scrapped PCB transformers, drained manufacturing wastewater and PCB oil into a creek on the property and landfilled contaminated substances on the property, the suit alleges.
According to the complaint, the defendants should have known their conduct was causing the release of huge amounts of carcinogenic and life-threatening substances into the environment, but they continued doing so, never warning the residents of adjacent communities of the health risks.
The plaintiffs seek judgment for wrongful death, negligence, hazardous activity and battery in an amount in excess of $50,000 plus court costs. They further demand a trial by jury and other relief the court deems just and proper.
They are represented by Gregory A. Cade of Environmental Litigation Group PC in Birmingham, Ala.; Paul G. Schoen of Schoen Law Firm PC in Belleville; Christopher Cueto of the Law Office of Christopher Cueto Ltd. in Belleville; and Lloyd A. Cueto of the Law Office of Lloyd A. Cueto PC in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 16-L-217