WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

CHARLESTON -- A Charleston woman is suing 24 companies she claims are responsible for her husband's mesothelioma and death.

Theodore Ray Hudson was diagnosed with mesothelioma with metastases in August 2008, from which he died on June 14, 2010, according to a complaint filed April 10 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Sharon Hudson claims the 24 defendants are responsible for the diagnosis and death because they exposed him to asbestos during his career as a Sight Glass Technician at Cyclops Industries from 1972 until 2009.

Theodore Hudson was exposed to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products and the defendants failed to warn him of the dangers of exposure, according to the suit.

Sharon Hudson claims the defendants also failed to provide him with safety apparel to wear while working around asbestos.

The defendants are being sued based 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.

Sharon Hudson is seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues involved. She is being represented by John H. Skaggs, Greg E. Elliott and Victoria Antion.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 24 companies named as defendants in the suit are A.O. Smith Corporation; A.W. Chesterton Company; Beazer East, Inc.; Cleaver-Brooks, Inc.; SPX Parent Company of Copes-Vulcan; Crane Co.; Crown, Cork & Seal USA, Inc.; Dravo Corporation; E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Company; FMC Corporation; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Grefco, Inc.; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Monsanto Company; Watts Water Technologies, Inc.; Occidental Chemical Corporation; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Premier Refractories, Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; UB West Virginia, Inc.; Union Boiler Company; Union Carbide Corporation; and Vimaseo Corporation.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-636