Woman allegedly indirectly exposed to asbestos from her husband’s clothes, car, their home

NEW ORLEANS— A woman’s family is suing a slew of companies over her diagnosis and subsequent death due to mesothelioma.

Joseph Edward Babin II, husband of Judy Gail Babin and her children, Joseph Edward Babin III and Lori Babin, filed suit against The Anchor Packing Company, Coltec Industrial, Inc., Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation, Flowserve Corporation, Durco International, Riley Power, Babcock Borsig Power Inc., D.B. Riley, Riley Stoker Corporation, William Powell Company, General Electric Company, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Entergy Gulf States LA LLC, Gulf States Utilities Company, Mosiac Fertilizer LLC, IMC Phosphates Company, IMC Agrico Company, Texaco, Motiva Enterprises, Shell Oil Company, Momentice Specialty Chemical Inc., Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc., Borden Chemical Inc., Borden Inc., The Borden Company, Borden Chemical and Plastics Limited Partnership, BASF Corporation, BASF Wyandotte Corporation, Honeywell International, Allied Signal Inc., Allied-Signal Inc., Georgia Pacific LLC, McDermott Inc., Zeneco Inc., ICI Americas Inc., Rubicon Chemicals, Bovay Engineers International, Burns and Roe Enterprises, Taylor-Seidenbach Inc., The McCarty Corporation, Anco Insulations Inc., Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Arrowood Indemnity Company, Eagle Inc., Brock Enterprises Inc., Cannon Sline, Inc., Technip Energy and Chemicals International Inc., Shaw Energy and Chemicals Inc., The Shaw Group, Stone & Webber Inc., Technip E & C Inc. and Turner Industries Group LLC in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.

The plaintiffs claim that in connection with her husband’s career, Judy Gail Babin was continuously exposed directly and indirectly to her husband’s asbestos-laden work clothes, his tools, his car, and their shared surroundings, and as a result of her exposure, she developed and died from mesothelioma.

The defendants are accused of designing, testing, contracting, evaluating, manufacturing, packaging, furnishing, storing, handling, transporting, installing, supplying and or selling asbestos-containing products. In addition to these charges, the plaintiffs allege that the defendants for many decades have been in possession of medical and scientific data, literature and test reports clearly indicating the danger of asbestos, and willfully, fraudulently and maliciously concealing and distorting these facts.

An undisclosed amount is sought in connection with strict liability, product liability, negligence and conspiracy allegations against the employers, products, equipment, suppliers, and contractors. The plaintiffs seek damages for conscious physical pain and suffering and mental anguish sustained by the decedent, physical impairment, disfigurement, reasonable and necessary medical expenses, loss of consortium, death and any further damages.

The plaintiff is represented by Eric R. Novak of Harrell & Nowak LLC.

The case has been assigned to Division D Judge Lloyd J. Medley.

Case no. 2013-06827.