Widow blames 85 companies for husband’s asbestos death

A lawsuit filed in West Virginia’s Kanawha Circuit Court names 85 companies that one woman blames for the death of her husband. Deborah E. Boggs argues that her late husband, James A. Boggs, was killed by asbestos-related ailments caused by the products made by these 85 companies. Before his death, Mr. Boggs was employed as a production foreman and plant operator at Conoco Venco in Moundsville, West Virginia. Mr. Boggs died from a combination of asbestosis and asbestos-caused lung cancer, according to court documents.

Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that most often affects the lungs. This form of the disease, known as pleural mesothelioma, affects thousands of patients worldwide each year. Mesothelioma can also manifest in the abdomen or the lining of the heart. While there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure for mesothelioma. Tragically, the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.

Mrs. Boggs believes that the companies that manufactured the asbestos-containing products her husband was exposed to should be held responsible for their negligence. According to the suit, “The defendants knew or should have known that exposure to the asbestos-containing products would cause disease and injury.”

The companies named in the suit include: Armstrong International, Inc.; Aurora Pump Company; E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company; General Electric Company; the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; Honeywell, Inc.; Honeywell International, Inc.; Ingersoll-Rand Company; ITT Corporation; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Warren Pumps, Inc.; Washington Group International; Waste Management, Inc.; Watson McDaniel Company; and Yarway Corporation.