EDWARDSVILLE - A man working on asbestos abatement at a Granite City plant is claiming negligence linked to an alleged exposure to carbon monoxide.
James D. Lofton, who is from Indiana, was working at the United States Steel plant when he was allegedly exposed to carbon monoxide.
Lofton filed suit March 23 in Madison County Circuit Court against U.S. Steel, Thermal Solutions, and Walter Pingel, who is a supervisor at the plant. US Steel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff is an employee of Thermal Solutions and was on a job at the plant on July 26, 2018. Pingel was a maintenance coordinator at the plant, the suit states.
The plaintiff was carrying out asbestos abatement work and was in a staging tent waiting for results of safety testing when he was overcome by the carbon monoxide and lost consciousness, according to the lawsuit.
The suit states that the carbon monoxide came from a drain pipe attached to a blast furnace flare stack. The plaintiff was taken to St. Louis University Hospital and was in a coma for four days, according to the suit.
Lofton is accusing Pingel of negligence for allegedly failing to provide reasonable protection to workers in that area of the plant.
Specifically, he claims Pingel did not close the drain valve, and failed to inspect the site where the plaintiff's employer erected the tent.
Further, the defendant failed to prepare a safety plan, follow adequate safety procedures, and failed to supervise or monitor.
The defendants are accused of violating policies by failing to inform the plaintiff's employer of known hazards. U.S. Steel is accused of vicarious liability because it employed Pingel.
Lofton claims he suffered severe injuries including acute carbon monoxide poisoning. He has permanent disabilities, needed medical care, has lost wages, and his earning capacity, the suit states.
Thermal Solutions is named in the suit as a respondent which may have information that would help the plaintiff's case.
The plaintiff, who is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, is represented by James P. Lemonds of Brown & Crouppen in St. Louis.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 2020-L-0394