Kanawha County, West Virginia – A Huntington man has filed an asbestos-related lawsuit against a total of eighty defendants. He claims he developed an asbestos-related disease after being exposed to the substance for more than 35 years.

The man is Richard Hynus, who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma on February 4 2008. His eighty-defendant lawsuit was filed in Kanawha Circuit Court, West Virginia.

Among the defendants is Huntington Alloys, formerly known as INCO, where Hynus once worked. Huntington Alloys produces nickel alloys at facilities in Huntington and Burnaugh.

Richard Hynus worked at Huntington Alloys between 1952 and 1987, as an electrician. The lawsuit he filed on March 31 2008 says he was exposed to asbestos fibers while at work for Huntington Alloys.

Electricians are often vulnerable to asbestos exposure when working at industrial plants due to the widespread use of asbestos prior to the 1980s, particularly in industrial locations. Asbestos was commonly used as an insulator and fire retardant, and was often used as electrical insulation as well as thermal insulation.

Mesothelioma, the asbestos-related disease that Hynus contracted as a result of the asbestos exposure, is a deadly type of cancer that is currently incurable.

The disease has a long latency period of two to five decades, meaning that even though Hynus ceased work at Huntington Alloys in the late 1980s it was still possible for him to have been exposed to sufficient asbestos to develop mesothelioma. In fact, the cancer can develop after exposure to a relatively small amount of asbestos.

In the lawsuit Richard Hynus claims that he has suffered severe illness and injury as well as significant medical expenses as a result of the disease and the treatment it requires.

Richard’s wife Joann Hynus is also a plaintiff, and claims that because of her husband’s disease she has suffered a loss of companionship and society.

The suit has a total of twelve counts, and Richard and Joann Hynus are seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 4:59 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Litigation, West Virginia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.