Doing family's laundry led to mesothelioma, Texas woman claims

A Texas woman is suing over claims she got mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos while doing her family's laundry.

Frances M. Wright filed suit Aug. 22 in the Cook County Circuit Court against A.O. Smith Corp., Armstrong International Inc., Aurora Pump Co., Caterpillar Inc. and dozens of others, alleging negligence, willful and wanton conduct and fraudulent misrepresentation.

According to the suit, Wright was exposed to asbestos through her late father, Anthony Downing, and her plumber and pipe fitter ex-husband, Ralph Wright, both of whom worked at Bath Iron Works, as well as her three sons who worked with or around the defendants' products as plumbers and doing brake work.

Wright claims she was exposed to asbestos fibers doing her family's laundry and was diagnosed with mesothelioma on April 30.

She is seeking damages and is represented by Chicago attorney Robert N. Wadington and the Texas attorneys W. Mark Lanier, M. Clay Fostel, Lincoln H. Goodwin and C. Jason Lindamood of The Lanier Law Firm.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014L008848.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Cook County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.