Woman says 60 companies responsible for family member's lung cancer, death

CHARLESTON -- A Baxter woman is suing 60 companies that she claims are responsible for her husband's lung cancer and death.

On June 17, 2010, Thomas F. Turek Sr. was diagnosed with lung cancer and on May 3, he died due to his lung cancer, according to a complaint filed June 16 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Carol Sue Turek claims her husband had previously smoked cigarettes from 1960 until 2000, but then quit.

Thomas F. Turek Sr. was employed by the defendants from 1965 until 1986 and was exposed to asbestos during the employment, according to the suit.

Carol Sue Turek claims the defendants failed to keep her husband protected from the asbestos he was exposed to.

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

Carol Sue Turek is seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues. She is being represented by Victoria L. Antion, Scott A. McGee, John D. Hurst and Bronwyn I. Rinehart.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 60 companies named as the defendants in the suit are A.O. Smith Corporation; A.W. Chesterton Company; Ajax Magnethermic Corporation; Allegheny Energy Service Corporation; Beazer East, Inc.; Caterpillar, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Clark Equipment Company; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Crane Co.; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Electrical, Inc.; Erie City Iron Works; FB Wright Company; Flowserve FSD Corporation; FMC Corporation; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; General Electric Company; George V. Hamilton, Inc.; Goulds Pumps; Honeywell international, Inc.; I.U. North America, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Inductotherm Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; ITT Corporation; J.H. France Refractories, Inc.; Joy Technologies, Inc.; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Monongahela Power Company; NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc.; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Ownes-Illinois, Inc.; P&H Mining Equipment, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Premiere Refractories, Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; Riley Power, Inc.; Rockwell Automation, Inc.; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; Sterling Fluid Systems (USA), LLC; Sunbeam Corporation; Surface Combustion, Inc.; Swindell-Dressier International Corporation; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; the Gage Company; the Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Co.; UB West Virginia, Inc.; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Viacom, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; Yale Materials Handling Corporation; and Zurn Industries, Inc.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 11-C-1001