Harry Pete Bringman was diagnosed with an incurable and asbestos-related disease on Feb. 23 and is 100 percent impaired and is being evaluated for a lung transplant, according to a complaint filed in Marshall Circuit Court.
Bringman claims he was a pipefitter and worked extensively in West Virginia, where he was exposed to large quantities of asbestos dust.
Over the course of his life, Bringman was exposed to worked with and/or around products containing asbestos and/or other harmful minerals manufactured, supplied, sold, distributed, installed, used, specified, removed and/or required by the defendants, according to the suit.
Bringman claims as a result, he was exposed to asbestos dust and breathed or ingested asbestos dust created by the use of the defendants’ products and developed a serious and incurable asbestos-related disease.
The defendants were negligent in that they produced, supplied and/or sold, and/or used, and/or specified and/or delivered products containing asbestos and other dangerous ingredients, according to the suit.
Bringman claims the defendants also failed to warn him of the dangers of the products when they knew or should have known that exposure to the asbestos-containing products would cause disease or injury.
The defendants also failed to take reasonable precautions to warn Bringman of the dangers to which he was exposed when they knew or should have known; failed to exercise reasonable care to warn him of the dangers; failed to inform him of what would be safe and sufficient apparel for a person who was exposed to or used the products; and failed to inform him of the proper protective equipment, according to the suit.
Bringman claims the defendants failed to inform him of safe and proper methods of handing and using their products; failed to test the asbestos-containing products in order to ascertain the dangers involved; and failed to test the other ingredients in their products to ascertain dangers involved.
Bringman is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is being represented by Leslie Ann James of Hartley & O’Brien.
Marshall Circuit Court case number: 16-C-143