The case is against Lorillard and Hollingsworh & Vose and others, and documents what many Kent cigarette smokers or factory workers of the mid 1950’s may face today – past potential asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. The Plaintiff lost the appeal.
To find out more on the case, see Case no. No. 2012-CA-000845-MR – February 14, 2014.
A brief summary of the facts include:
- In March of 2010, Bill McGuire was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
- Shortly thereafter, he and his wife, Wanda, filed suit in Jefferson Circuit Court asserting claims of products liability and negligence against 33 separate entities, alleging that each entity had exposed him to asbestos and that each exposure was a substantial factor in causing his disease.
- Bill alleged that many of these entities had exposed him to asbestos over the course of his employment as an ironworker.
- However, as it related to two of these entities—Lorillard and H & V—Bill alleged that he had been exposed to asbestos by virtue of the “Original Kent” cigarette.
- To explain, between 1952 and 1956, Lorillard’s Louisville plant manufactured Original Kents, a type of cigarette featuring what Lorillard dubbed the “micronite filter.”
- This filter media was manufactured by H & V and it contained a type of asbestos called “crocidolite,” which is a known cause of mesothelioma.
- And, not only did Bill smoke Original Kent cigarettes during that period of time, he also worked at Lorillard’s plant from August, 1953, to August, 1954.
- Bill died from mesothelioma on March 15, 2011.
For more on mesothelioma and asbestos, please visit the links below:
- An Overview
- Asbestos Connection
- Exposure to Asbestos
- Signs and Symptoms
- Diagnosis/Staging and Treatment
- Go To Asbestos
- Resources
- Asbestos & Mesothelioma News
At the Gooch Law Firm, we pride ourselves on providing our clients reliable representation for even the most challenging cases. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact our office at 1.844.329.5955.
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