Charleston couple names 137 defendants in asbestos case

A Charleston, West Virginia couple has named 137 defendants in their asbestos lawsuit. A man and his wife claim the companies are responsible for his asbestosis and mesothelioma. The couple filed their complaint in Kanawha Circuit Court on July 6, reports the West Virginia Record.

Billy E. Bennett claims he was exposed to the defendants’ products during his career, and that such exposure caused his lung injuries. Bennett worked as a lab technician, engineering technician and maintenance foreman for Corhart Refractories Company.

Mesothelioma and asbestosis are both asbestos-related diseases, known to form from extended exposure to the hazardous material. Mesothelioma is the rarest and most aggressive asbestos-related disease, which affects nearly 3,000 Americans each year.

Mesothelioma most commonly forms from the mesothelium. The pleura, or lung cavity, is most often affected by the disease.

Symptoms of the disease, such as shortness of breath and chest pain, lie dormant for 10 to 50 years. Because of this, doctors struggle to diagnose patients in the early stages of their disease. As a result, mesothelioma treatmenttends to be purely palliative.

According to the suit, the defendants failed to exercise reasonable care, and should have known the dangers associated with asbestos exposure. The couple is seeking compensatory damages.