WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

CHARLESTON -- A Ironton, Ohio, woman is suing 74 companies she claims are responsible for her husband's cancer and death.

In August 2005, Herold Leonydus Smith was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, of which he died from on Sept. 5, 2009, according to a complaint filed Aug. 29 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Constance J. Smith claims the defendants are responsible for her husband's cancer and death by exposing him to asbestos during his career.

Mr. Smith was employed as a roundhouse worker and a laborer, maintenance foundry worker and rigger by C&O and AK Steel from 1949 until 1985, according to the suit.

Mrs. Smith claims her late husband smoked cigarettes between 1947 and 1978, but quit after that.

The defendants are being sued based 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.

Mrs. Smith is seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues involved. She is being represented by Bronwyn I. Rinehart.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 74 companies named as defendants in the suit are 3M Company; 4520 Corporation, Inc.; A.K. Steel Corporation; A.W. Chesterton Company; Allied Chemical Corporation; Amdura Corporation; Aurora Pump Company; Brand Insulations, Inc.; BWIP, Inc.; Byron Jackson Pumps; Catalytic Construction Company; Caterpillar Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Columbus McKinnon Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks, Inc.; Crane Co.; Dravo Corporation; Flowserve US, Inc., f/k/a Flowserve FSD Corporation; Flowserve US, Inc., f/k/a Durco International, Inc.; FMC Corporation; Foseco, Inc.; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; General Electric Company, Inc.; Georgia-Pacific, LLC; Gordon Gasket & Packing Co.; Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Greene Tweed & Company; Grinnell, LLC; Hercules, Inc.; Honeywell International; Honeywell International, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; Insul Company, Inc.; ITT Corporation; J.H. France Refractories; Lockheed Martin Corporation; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Morgan Engineering Systems, Inc.; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; National Services, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Oglebay Norton Company; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Pettibone/Traverse Lift, LLC; Premiere Refractories, Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; Reading Crane; Riley Power, Inc.; Ross Brothers Construction Co.; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems (USA), LLC; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; the Alliance Machine Company; the F.D. Lawrence Electric Company; the William Powell Company; UB West Virginia, Inc.; Union Carbide Chemical & Plastics Company; Uniroyal, Inc.; Uniroyal Holdings, Inc.; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Viacom, Inc.; Viking Pump Company; Vimasco Corporation; West Virginia Electric Supply; WT/HRC Corporation; Yarway Corporation; and Zurn Industries, Inc.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 11-C-1494