Orange suit names 43 companies for man's asbestos exposure
7/23/2008 2:48 PM
By David Yates
Bryan Blevins
ORANGE -- Sherry Hearne is suing the A.O. Smith Corp. and 42 other companies for monetary compensation for her benefactor's alleged asbestos-related death, court papers show.
Hearne filed her suit July 9 in Orange County District Court on behalf of Garland Adams.
The lawsuit names corporations from aerospace giant Lockheed Martin to iron supplier Zurn Industries for manufacturing and distributing asbestos-laced products.
Court documents suggest Adams was exposed to asbestos dust and fibers while working as a welder and machinist.
The lawsuit does not give dates of Adams employment, locations where he worked or when or how he died.
The petition says the 43 defendants entangled in his lawsuit were negligent, failing to adequately test their asbestos-laced products before flooding the market with dangerous goods.
In addition, the petition faults Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Corp. (3M Corporation) and American Optical Corp. for producing defective masks that failed to "provide respiratory protection."
The plaintiff is suing for Adams' physical pain and suffering in the past and future, mental anguish in the past and future, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, disfigurement in the past and future, physical impairment in the past and future, and past and future medical expenses.
Provost Umphrey attorney Bryan Blevins is representing the plaintiff.
The case has been assigned to District Judge Patrick Clark.
