Asbestos suits filed in Kanawha Court

CHARLESTON - One of two asbestos suits filed recently in Kanawha Circuit Court features an client-attorney combination from Pennsylvania.

Neil Reddington alleges asbestos exposure during years of working in West Virginia is to blame for his lung disease in a suit filed Oct. 10 by Craig Coleman of Pittsburgh firm Caroselli, Beachler, McTiernan and Conboy.

His suit names 15 defendants, of whom only two are state corporations -- Vimasco of Nitro and Wheeling Rubber Products.

It says that he worked as a bricklayer from 1963-1979 extensively in the state, specifically the Virginia Electric Power Plant in Mt. Storm and the Hatfield Power Plant in Masontown. It adds that he worked in St. Mary's, Moundsville, Huntington, Charleston, Institute and Wheeling.

The four-count complaint seeks compensatory damages.

The complaint of Lowell and Karen Kitzmiller, also filed Oct. 10, is much more extensive. It lists 15 counts through 67 pages and was filed by Huntington attorney Timothy Eves.

Lowell Kitzmiller, 60, says he contracted mesothelioma and asbestosis from years of asbestos exposure. He says he worked as an insulator at various jobsites, including the Mt. Storm Power Station.

His lawsuit lists 114 defendants. His wife Karen seeks compensation for loss of consortium. The two also seek punitive damages.

Both suits have been assigned to a visiting judge.

Kanawha Circuit Court case numbers 06-C-2089 and 2092