Steelworker's daughter blames asbestos companies for father's lung cancer death

A daughter of a former steelworker is suing dozens of companies with ties to asbestos-containing products that she alleges caused her father to develop lung cancer.

Jessie Startup, as personal representative of the Estate of Billy Looney, filed a lawsuit Jan. 27 in Cook County Circuit Court against A.W. Chesterton Co., H.B. Fuller Co., Union Carbide Corp. and more than 20 other companies.

According to the complaint, Looney was exposed to asbestos via the defendants’ products between 1952 and 1985, during which time he worked as a steelworker. The exposure led him to develop lung cancer and die, the suit states.

Startup alleges the defendants knew or should have known their products contained asbestos and would result in physical harm, and accuses them of failing to provide adequate warnings of the danger of asbestos exposure.

She is represented by attorney James R. Hopkinson of Cooney & Conway in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2015L000829.

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 represents only one side of the story.