Fairmont couple sues 65 companies in asbestos case

CHARLESTON -- A Fairmont couple named 65 defendants in an asbestos-related suit.

James W. Dowdy worked for Industrial Resources Inc. in Fairmont from 1968 until 2009 as a steelworker and was diagnosed with lung cancer on Nov. 1, 2009, according to a complaint filed April 16 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

The 60-year-old man claims he stopped smoking in 1968.

Dowdy and his wife, Nancy L. Dowdy, claim the defendants are being sued for negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of express/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentations and post sale duty to warn.

The Dowdys are seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues regarding their asbestos-related case. They are being represented by Victoria Antion.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 65 defendants named in the case are 3M Company; A.W. Chesterton; Ajax Magnethermic Corporation; Amdura Corporation; Aurora Pump Company; Beazer East, Inc.; Brand Insulations, Inc.; Caterpillar, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Clark Equipment Company; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Columbus McKinnon Corporation; Crane Co.; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Electrical, Inc.; F.B. Wright Company; Fairmont Supply Company; Flowserve FSD Corporation; FMC Corporation; Foseco, Inc.; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Garlock, Inc.; General Electric Company; General Refractories Company; George V. Hamilton, Inc.; Goulds Pumps; Honeywell International, Inc.; Howden Buffalo, Inc.; I. U. North America, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Industrial Resources, Inc.; Ingersoll-Rand Company; Insul Company, Inc.; ITT Corporation; J.H. France Refractories Company; Joy Global, Inc.; Kelsey-Hayes Company; Manitowoc Company, Inc.; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Morgan Engineering, Inc.; Nacco Materials Handling Group, Inc.; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Oglebay Norton Company; P&H Mining Equipment, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Premier Refractories, Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; Reading Crane; Riley Power, Inc.; Rockwell Automations, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; Sterling Fluid Systems (US), LLC; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; the Gage Company; the Rust Engineering Company; Thiem Corp.; UB West Virginia, Inc.; Uniroyal, Inc.; Viacom, Inc.; and Yale Materials Handling Corporation.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 10-C-717