Va. couple sues 143 companies for mesothelioma

CHARLESTON -- A Highland Springs, Va., couple is suing 143 companies they claim are responsible for a diagnosis of mesothelioma.

On March 8, Edward L. Comer was diagnosed with mesothelioma, according to a complaint filed April 27 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Comer claims he smoked cigarettes until 1986, but completely quit in that year.

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

Comer claims he was exposed to asbestos fibers during his employment as an insulator from 1960 until 1984.

Comer and his wife, Barbara Comer, are seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues involved. They are being represented by Victoria Antion and Gary W. Kendall.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 143 defendants are 3M Company; 4520 Corporation, Inc.; A.O. Smith Corporation; A.W. Chesterton Company; Ajax Magnethermic Corporation; AK Steel Corporation; AKZO Chemicals, Inc.; Allegheny Energy Service Corporation; Allied Chemical Corporation; Allied Clove Corporation; Altria Group, Inc.; American Electric Power; American Electric Power Service Corporation; Appalachian Power Company; Aristech Chemical Corporation; Armstrong International, Inc.; Armstrong Pumps, Inc.; Ashland Oil, Inc.; Aurora Pump Company; Bayer Cropscience LP; Beazer East, Inc.; Bechtel Corporation; Borg-Warner Corporation; Brand Insulations, Inc.; Air & Liquid Systems Corporation; BW IP, Inc.; Catalytic Construction Company; Certainteed Corporation; Chemtura Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks, Int.; Copes-Vulcan; Crane Co.; Crown, Cork & Seal USA, Inc.; Detroit Steel, Inc.; Dezurik, Inc.; Dominion Virginia Power; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Electrical, Inc.; E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.; Erie City Iron Works; F.B. Wright; Flour Corporation; Flowserve US, Inc., a/k/a Nordstrom Valves; Flowserve US, Inc., f/k/a Durco International, Inc.; Flowserve US, Inc., f/k/a Flowserve FSD Corporation; Fluor Enterprises, Inc., as successor in interest to Fluor Daniel; Fluor Enterprises, Inc.; FMC Corporation; Foseco, Inc.; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Gardner Denver, Inc.; General Electric Company, Inc.; General Refractories Company; Geo. V. Hamilton, Inc.; Goodrich Corporation; Gordon Gasket & Packing Co.; Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Greene Tweed & Company; Grinnell, LLC; Hampshire Industries, Inc.; Henry Vogt Machine Company; Hercules, Inc.; Honeywell International f/k/a Allied Signal, Inc.; Honeywell International, Inc., successor in interest to Semet Solvay; Honeywell, Inc.; Howden North America, Inc.; Huntington Alloys Corporation; I.U. North America, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; Insul Company, Inc.; Invensys Systems, Inc.; ITT Corporation; J.H. France Refractories Company; John Crane, Inc.; Kentucky Power Company; Kunkle Industries, Inc.; Lockheed Martin Corporation; McJunkin Corporation; McNally Industries; Met Pro Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Midland-Ross Corporation; Milwaukee Valve Company; Monongahela Power Company; Monsanto Company; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; National Service Industries Venture, Inc.; Nibco, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; O.C. Keckley Company; Oakfabco, Inc.; Oglebay Norton Company; Ohio Power Company; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Philip Morris USA, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Premiere Refractories, Inc.; Quaker State Oil Refining Corporation; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Rapid American Corporation; Riley Power, Inc.; Rockwell Automation, Inc.; Roper Pumps Company; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Rust International, Inc.; Schneider Electric; Sequoia Ventures, Inc.; Spirax Sarco, Inc.; State Electric Supply Company; Stauffer Chemical, Inc.; Sterling Fluid Systems (USA), LLC; Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation; Superior Boiler Works, Inc.; Sun Company, Inc.; Sunoco, Inc. (R&M); Sundyne Corporation; Surface Combustion, Inc.; SVI Corporation; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; the Gage Company; the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.; the William Powell Company; Trane U.S. Inc.; Tyco Flow Controls Inc.; UB West Virginia, Inc.; Uniroyal, Inc.; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Viacom, Inc.; Viking Pump, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; Virginia Electric and Power Company; Warren Pumps; Watson McDaniel Company; Weil-McLain Company; West Virginia Electric Supply; Wyeth Holdings Corporation; Yarway Corporation; Zenith Pumps; and Zurn Industries, Inc.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 11-C-693