BELLEVILLE — A widow is suing numerous companies whose products she claims included asbestos, citing alleged failure to warn and negligence.
Kathleen Nasi, individually and as special administrator of the estate of Franklin Rickman Jr., deceased, filed a complaint Feb. 27 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against American Honda Motor Corp., Burnham LLC, Johnston Boiler and others, alleging that they failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the safety of others.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that at various times during Franklin Rickman's life, he was exposed to and inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers emanating from certain products manufactured, sold, distributed or installed by defendants. On Nov. 27, 2015, decedent first became aware that he developed lung cancer, an asbestos-induced disease; he died April 9, 2016.
The plaintiff holds American Honda Motor, Burnham, Johnston Boiler and others responsible because the defendants allegedly negligently included asbestos fibers in their products when adequate substitutes were available and failed to provide adequate warnings and instructions concerning the dangers of working with or around products containing asbestos fibers.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory damages of not less than $50,000. She is represented by Randy L. Gori of Gori, Julian & Associates PC in Edwardsville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 18-L-140