Former firefighter claims mesothelioma was caused by primary, secondary asbestos exposure

A man is suing over claims his mesothelioma was caused by his and his father's exposure to asbestos.

James F. and Janelle Carney filed a lawsuit Sept. 15 in Cook County Circuit Court against Tenneco, Inc., Genuine Parts Co., Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., and dozens of other companies.

According to the complaint, James Carney was exposed to asbestos from products manufactured, sold, distributed, marketed, and installed by the defendant companies through his various occupations he held between 1979 and 2013, including student, construction worker and firefighter.

He further claims he was exposed to asbestos through non-occupational projects and secondary exposure from his father's occupations in farming. The suit states Carney was diagnosed with mesothelioma June 3, 2013.

The defendant companies are accused of negligence in using asbestos in their products and failing to warn the public of the dangers. Carney's wife, Janelle, is suing for loss of companionship.

The Carneys are represented by attorney Lawrence R. Weisler of Cooney & Conway in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2014L009594.

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