Ky. man names 56 defendants in asbestos case

CHARLESTON -- A Catlettsburg, Ky., man named 56 defendants in an asbestos-related law suit regarding his lung cancer.

On Oct. 30, 2009, John Wheeler Estep Jr. was diagnosed with lung cancer, according to a complaint filed May 14 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Estep was employed by General Motors from 1966 until 1968 and Ashland Oil from 1968 until 1993 as a laborer, according to the suit.

Estep claims he smoked one pack of cigarettes per day from 1957 until 2009, but has since quit.

The defendants are being sued for negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentation and post-sale duty to warn, according to the suit.

Estep is seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues involved in the case. He is being represented by Cindy J. Kiblinger and Victoria Antion.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 56 defendants involved are A.W. Chesterton Company; Ashland Oil, Inc.; Aurora Pump Company; Brand Insulations, Inc.; Buffalo Pumps, Inc.; BW IP, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Chicago Pump Company; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Crane Co.; Crown, Cork & Seal USA, Inc.; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Corporation; Fisher Controls International, LLC; Flowserve FSD Corporation; Flowserve US, Inc., f/k/a Durco International, Inc.; FMC Corporation; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Gardner Denver, Inc.; Garlock, Inc.; General Electric Company; Goulds Pumps; Honeywell International, Inc.; Howden Buffalo, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; ITT Corporation; Leslie Controls, Inc.; Lockheed Martin Corporation; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Mueller Steam Specialty; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; National Service Industries, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Rapid American Corporation; Riley Power, Inc.; Rockwell Automations, Inc.; Roper Pumps Company; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; Sterling Fluid Systems (US), LLC; Stockham Valves & Fittings; Taco, Inc.; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; the Gorman-Rupp Company; the F.D Lawrence Electric Company; UB West Virginia, Inc.; Uniroyal, Inc.; Viacom, Inc.; Viking Pump, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; Warren Pumps, Inc.; and Zurn Industries, Inc.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 10-C-877