Ky. woman names 48 defendants in asbestos suit

CHARLESTON -- A Flatwoods, Ky., woman is suing 48 companies she claims are responsible for her husband's lung cancer and death.

On Feb. 2, 2011, Lloyd Edwin Barker was diagnosed with lung cancer, from which he died on March 1, 2011, according to a complaint filed Feb. 29 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Earnestine Barker claims the 48 defendants exposed her late husband to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products during his employment as a crane leader, steel worker and laborer from 1953 until 1993.

The defendants knew or should have known of the harm of exposure to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products, according to the suit.

Earnestine Barker claims the defendants are being sued based on theories of negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentation and post-sale duty to warn.

Earnestine Barker is seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues involved. She is being represented by Victoria L. Antion, Scott A. McGee and Bronwyn I. Rinehart.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 48 companies named as defendants in the suit are A.K. Steel Corporation; A.W. Chesterton Company; Amdura Corporation; Atlas Turner, Inc.; Bucyrus International, Inc.; Caterpillar Inc.; Clark Equipment Company; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Columbus McKinnon Corporation; Crane Co.; Dravo Corporation; Flowserve FSD Corporation; FMC Corporation; Foscco, Inc.; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; General Electric Company; Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Hercules, Inc.; Honeywell International; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; Insul Company, Inc.; ITT Corporation; McJunkin Red Man Corporation; Morgan Engineering, Inc.; NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Oglebay Norton Company; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Pettibone/Traverse Lift, LLC; Premier Refractories, Inc..; Reading Crane and Engineering Company; Riley Power Inc.; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Rust International, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems (US) LLC; Sunbeam Corporation; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; The Alliance Machine Company; UB West Virginia, Inc.; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Vimasco Corporation; West Virginia State Electric Supply Company; and Yale Materials Handling Corporation.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-381