A Gettysburg, Pa. man who claims his development of lung cancer is directly related to his work history, in that he worked around asbestos-related products, has filed a mass tort claim against various companies involved in the manufacture and distribution of products containing the fiber.
Philadelphia attorney Steven J. Cooperstein, of the firm Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler, filed the civil complaint Oct. 14 at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on behalf of William Kent.
More than 35 defendants are listed in the lawsuit. They include, but are not limited to, B.F. Goodrich Co., CBS Corp., Weil McLain Co., Union Carbide Corp., Sears, American Biltrite, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., and Owens-Illinois, Inc.
The lawsuit blames Kent’s December 2010 lung cancer diagnosis on his work history, which included positions as a brake liner, laborer, assembly line worker, crew boss and superintendent at various companies that utilized the defendants’ products.
However, the complaint also concedes that Kent had a heavy smoking history, averaging between one and three packs of cigarettes a day between 1948 and 1994.
The personal injury claim was filed as a short-form complaint in the master asbestos litigation docket in common pleas court.
The plaintiff seeks damages as defined in the master long-form complaint.
A jury trial is being sought.
The case number is 111001698.
Gettysburg man files asbestos mass tort action
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