EDWARDSVILLE — A Madison County resident claims her father was exposed to products containing benzene.
Rhonda Baker, individually and as special administrator of the estate of Henry Meyers, deceased, filed a complaint May 10 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Ashland Chemical Co., A.O. Smith Corp., United States Steel Co. and others alleging they breached their duties to exercise due care and caution for the safety of others.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that at various times during Henry Meyers' life, he was exposed to and inhaled or ingested benzene fumes emanating from benzene in certain products manufactured, sold, distributed or installed by the defendants. Meyers, who once worked for A.O. Smith in Granite City, was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia and died May 21, 2016, according to the complaint. The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible because benzene is a carcinogen and other materials were available to use and because they allegedly failed to provide adequate warnings and instructions concerning the dangers of working around benzene or products containing it.
The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages of at least $50,000, plus costs of this action and further relief the court may deem appropriate. She is represented by Richard L. Saville Jr. of Saville Law Firm LLC in St. Louis and Bob L. Perica and Tess M. Perica of Perica Law Firm in Wood River.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 18-L-632