BELLEVILLE — A man and his wife filed suit in St. Clair County Circuit Court seeking damages from a number of companies that produced products that contained asbestos.
Charles Calfee, who was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, and his wife Veronica were listed as plaintiffs in the suit, which was filed March 8 by Edwardsville attorneys Randy Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian & Associates.
In filing the six-count complaint on March 8, the plaintiffs are looking for damages at least $50,000 per count.
Among the counts are negligence allegations against the manufacturers; willful and wanton misconduct against the manufacturers; negligence counts against manufacturers of respirator products; willful and wanton misconduct against manufacturers of respirator products; negligence; and loss of consortium.
Defendants named in the suit include Albany International, BMW, Borg Warner Morse, Cambridge Corporation, Dow Chemical, BW/IP, Flowserve, Grinnell, Hercules, Ingersoll Rand, John Crane, Pneumo Abex, Riley Power Inc., Zurn Industries and Metropolitan Life Insurance, among many others.
Calfee worked as a sheet metal worker from 1962 to 2000 at a variety of locations.
The complaint said Calfee was exposed to and inhaled, ingested or absorbed large amounts of asbestos fibers which were emanating from products he was working with which were manufactured, sold, distributed or installed by the defendants.
Research has shown that inhaling asbestos can cause asbestosis, mesothelioma and a number of other cancers. Calfee was diagnosed in July of last year with lung cancer, according to the complaint.
The complaint went on to say that "the plaintiff’s exposure to and inhalation, ingestion or absorption of asbestos fibers meaning from the above mentioned products was completely foreseeable and could or should have been anticipated by the defendants.
"Defendants knew or should have known that the asbestos fibers contained in their products had a toxic, poisonous and highly deleterious effect upon the health of persons inhaling, ingesting or otherwise absorbing them.’’