BELLEVILLE — The administrator for the estate of a deceased worker is suing multiple companies, alleging that their products and conduct are responsible for his father's death from asbestos-caused mesothelioma.
Matthew Riley, special administrator of the estate of Thomas Hauptman, filed a complaint on July 6 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against NSF Railway Company, ORG-Wrner Morse Tec LLC, The Budd Company and several others, alleging that they failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the safety of the decedent and others working with or around asbestos-containing products.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that Thomas Hauptman worked as a brakeman/conductor at Burlington Northern Railroad from 1976 to 1993, where he reportedly was exposed to and inhaled, ingested or otherwise absorbed asbestos fibers emanating from the defendants' products. On November 18, Hauptman found out that he had lung cancer, which led to his death on April 16.
The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible for allegedly failing to provide warnings to people working with or around the products, failing to provide adequate instructions on how to avoid inhaling asbestos or failing to conduct tests on the asbestos-containing products.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgement for compensatory damages, punitive and exemplary damages in an amount in excess of $50,000 and other relief the court deems proper. He is represented by Randy L. Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian & Associates PC in Edwardsville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 17-L-358