Paynesville woman sues 93 companies in asbestos suit

CHARLESTON -- A Paynesville woman is suing 93 companies she claims are responsible for her husband’s mesothelioma and death.

Clyde Junior Blankenship was diagnosed with mesothelioma, from which he died on June 30, according to a complaint filed Sept. 14 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Robin Blankenship claims the 93 defendants exposed her husband to asbestos during his career as a welder and a mine operator from 1974 until 2012.
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.

Robin Blankenship claims her husband smoked cigarettes from 1984 until 2004, but then quit.

Certain defendants are also being sued as premise owners and as Clyde Blankenship’s employers for deliberate intent/intentional tort, according to the suit.

Robin Blankenship is seeking a jury trial to resolve all issues involved. She is being represented by Victoria Antion, Scott A. McGee and Gary W. Kendall.

The case has been assigned to a visiting judge.

The 93 defendants named in the suit are 3M Company; A.O. Smith Corporation; A.W. Chesterton Company; Adamson Global Technology Corp.; Ajax Magnethermic Corporation; Aladdin Carpet Mills, Inc.; Allied Glove Corporation; Borg-Warner Corporation; Breeding Insulation Company, Inc.; Cabin Craft, Inc.; Caterpillar, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Challenge-Cook Bros. of Georgia, Inc.; Chicago Boiler Company; Clark Equipment Company; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Continental Steel Tank Company, Inc.; Copes-Vulcan, Inc.; Coronet Industries, Inc.; Crane Co.; Crown Cotton Mills Proprieties, Inc.; Dalton Carpet Finishing Company, Inc.; Dalton Supply Company; Dravo Corporation; E.T. Barwick Industries, Inc.; Eaton Electrical, Inc.; Elite Processing, LLC; Flowserve FSD Corporation; Flowserve US, Inc.; FMC Corporation; Ford Motor Company; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; General Electric Company; Genuine Parts Company; Georgia Pacific Corporation; Goulds Pumps; Grinnell, LLC; Hercules, Inc.; Hobart Brothers; Honeywell International; Howden North America, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Devalco Corporation; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand; ITT Corporation; J. H. Fletcher & Co.; Joy Technologies, Inc.; Lattner Boiler Company; Lincoln Electric Company; Maremont Corporation; McNeil Corporation; Mestek, Inc.; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Mine Safety Appliances Company; Modern Carpet Industries, Inc.; Mohawk Industries, Inc.; Nacco Materials Handling Group, Inc.; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; Oakfabco, Inc.; P&H Mining Equipment, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Rapid-American Corporation; Riley Power, Inc.; Rockwell Automation, Inc.; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Rust International, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; Shaw Industries, Inc.; Spiraxsarco, Inc.; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems (USA), LLC; Sunbeam Corporation; Sunoco, Inc.; Surface Combustion, Inc.; Swindell Dressler International Corporation; Tasco Insulations, Inc; The Dow Chemical Company; The Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Co.; The Sager Corporation; Union Carbide Chemical & Plastics Company; United Conveyor Corporation; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Viacom, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; Weil-McLain Company; West Point-Pepperell, Inc.; West Virginia Electric Supply Company; World Carpets, Inc.; Yale Materials Handling Corporation; Yarway Corporation; and Zurn Industries, LLC.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-1873