Two new lawsuits recently filed in Kanawha County District Court in West Virginia involve people who developed serious diseases as a result of exposure to asbestos.

The first was filed by Joseph Keller, on behalf of the estate of Paul Norman Keller. The lawsuit names CSX Transportation, formerly known as the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, as a defendant.

According to the lawsuit, Paul Keller worked for the railroad company for several years, and during his employment was exposed to toxic substances, including airborne asbestos fibers and dust.

The lawsuit filed by Keller says, “As a direct and proximate result of his exposure to the harmful dust, fumes and other products without any lack of due care on his part, the decedent contracted lung cancer and other diseases related to such exposure.”

Paul Keller was diagnosed with lung cancer, by which time he had already been suffering from the disease for several years. He died from the cancer on January 15, 2008.

The lawsuit states that the railroad company failed in its duty to provide Keller with a safe environment in which to work, according to the Federal Employer’s Liability Act. Joseph Keller is seeking punitive as well as compensatory damages on behalf of the deceased’s estate.

The second lawsuit involves a Kanawha County couple who have filed an asbestos-related lawsuit which names a total of 85 defendant companies. The lawsuit, filed by Vincent and Antoinette Scriptunas, claims that Vincent Scriptunas developed mesothelioma as a result of long-term exposure to asbestos.

Vincent Scriptunas, who worked for Union Carbide in South Charleston between 1951 and 1988, was diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma on June 20, 2007. Scriptunas claims to have been exposed to asbestos while working for Union Carbide.

According to the lawsuit filed by Vincent and Antoinette Scriptunas, the defendant companies are responsible for the development of the disease because they failed to protect or warn Scriptunas about the dangers of asbestos.

The Scriptunas are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for medical expenses, loss of income and earning capacity, and mental and physical suffering.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 4th, 2008 at 5:14 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma Treatment, West Virginia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.