Ky. couple names 54 defendants in asbestos case

CHARLESTON -- A Phelps, Ky., couple is suing 54 companies they claim are responsible for a lung cancer diagnosis.

On Sept. 29, 2011, Randy Carson Fields was diagnosed with lung cancer, according to a complaint filed July 17 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Fields claims he was exposed to asbestos during his employment at various mining and coal companies from 1963 until 1987.

The defendants failed to warn Fields about the dangers of asbestos, according to the suit.

Fields claims the defendants also failed to supply him with proper apparel to wear while handling asbestos.

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, according to the suit.

Fields and his wife, Mabel Lou Fields, is 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 54 companies named as defendants are 3M Company; A.W. Chesterton Company; Aurora Pump Company; Borg-Warner Corporation; Caterpillar Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Copes-Vulcan, Inc.; Crane Co.; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Electrical, Inc.; Flowserve FSD Corporation; Flowserve U.S., Inc.; FMC Corporation; Ford Motor Company; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Gardner Denver, Inc.; General Electric Company; Genuine Parts Company; Goulds Pumps; Grinnell, LLC; Honeywell International; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand; ITT Corporation; Joy Technologies, Inc.; McJunkin Red Man Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Mine Safety Appliances Company; Nacco Materials Handling Group, Inc.; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; P&H Mining Equipment, Inc.; Pettibone/Traverse Lift, LLC; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Premier Refractories, Inc.; Rapid-American Corporation; Riley Power, Inc.; Rockwell Automation, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; Sears, Roebuck And Co.; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems (USA), LLC; Tasco Insulations, Inc; The Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Co.; Uniroyal, Inc.; United Conveyor Corporation; Viacom, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; West Virginia Electric Supply Company; Yale Materials Handling Corporation; Yarway Corporation; and Zurn Industries, LLC.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-1388