Bluefield couple names 82 defendants in asbestos case

CHARLESTON -- A Bluefield couple is suing 82 companies they claim are responsible for a lung cancer diagnosis.

On Aug. 15, 2011, Romie Coe was diagnosed with lung cancer, according to a complaint filed Feb. 29 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Coe and his wife, Joyce Ann Coe, claim he was exposed to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products during his working career from 1945 until 1984.

The defendants knew or should have known of the dangers of asbestos exposure, according to the suit.

The Coes claim 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.

The Coes are seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues involved. They are being represented by Victoria L. Antion, Scott A. McGee and Bronwyn I. Rinehart.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 82 companies named as defendants in the suit are 3M Company; A.O. Smith Corporation; A.W. Chesterton Company; Ajax Magnethermic Corporation; Allied Chemical Corporation; Amchem Products, Inc.; Armstrong International, Inc.; Ashland, Inc.; Aurora Pump Company; BW IP, Inc.; Catalytic Construction Company; Caterpillar, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Copes-Vulcan, Inc.; Crane Co.; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Electrical, Inc.; Flowserve Corporation; Flowserve US, Inc.; FMC Corporation; Ford Motor Company; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Gardner Denver, Inc.; General Electric Company; General Refractories Company; Gordon Gasket & Packing Co.; Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Greene Tweed & Company; Grinnell, Inc.; Hercules, Inc.; Honeywell International f/k/a Allied Signal, Inc.; Honeywell International, Inc.; Howden North America, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll Rand Company; Insul Company, Inc.; Invensys Systems, Inc.; ITT Corporation; J.H. France Refractories; Joy Technologies, Inc.; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Nagle Pumps; National Service Industries Venture, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Ohio Valley Insulating Company; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Premier Refractories, Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; Rhone-Poulenc, Inc.; Riley Power, Inc.; Rockwell Automations, Inc.; Roper Pump Company; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Rust International, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; Spirax Sarco, Inc.; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems LLC; Sundyne Corporation; SVI Corporation; Swindell Dressier International Company; Tasco Insulations, Inc; The Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Co.; The William Powell Company; Trane U.S. Inc.; Union Boiler Company; Union Carbide Chemical and Plastics Company, Inc.; Uniroyal, Inc.; United Conveyer Corporation; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Viacom, Inc.; Viking Pump, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; Warren Pump; West Virginia Electric Supply Company; Yarway Corporation; and Zurn Industries, LLC.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-383