Two asbestos lawsuits were filed in a Kanawha Circuit court: one over the death of a former mechanic, and another by a former refractory plant worker.

The First Lawsuit

The first lawsuit, filed on Oct. 15 by Carol Neil, who represents the estate of Kassie Van Neil Jr., names 56 defendants.

According to the lawsuit, Kassie Van Neil Jr. worked at Ford Motor Co. as a mechanic from 1961 to 1970. He also worked at Cedar Coal Co. from 1970 to 1984, and then at Union Carbide and DuPont from 1984-2000, the suit said.

The suit says that as a result of his exposure to asbestos at his places of employment, Neil was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May of 2005. He died twelve days after his diagnosis, leaving his wife Carol a widow.

Mesothelioma is very rarely caused by anything other than asbestos exposure.

The widow seeks compensation for damages, including mental anguish and sorrow. She also seeks punitive damages in an amount great enough to punish the companies for their alleged neglect.

The Second Lawsuit

The second lawsuit was filed by Roger Thompson, who claims he was exposed to insulation containing asbestos while working at St. Gobain Ceramics and Plastics.

The suit says that Thompson was employed at St. Gobain’s Buckhannon refractory plant from 1971 to 2004. In the course of his work, he was “required to handle and did handle and use asbestos products supplied to the plaintiff by the defendant corporations,” the suit said.

Thompson’s suit names 21 defendants, including A&I Co. and Nitro Industrial Coverings.

Thompson’s complaint said that he was “exposed to asbestos insulation from a steam-generating boiler, associated piping, kilns, furnaces and dryers used in the manufacturing process for refractory products, and the components of the refractory products and other sources of breathable asbestos fibers.”

Thompson also seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.

Has you or a loved one been harmed by exposure to asbestos? Please contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced asbestos attorney who can answer your questions, examine your case thoroughly, and help you recover the compensation you may be entitled to.