Joseph Stepka v. Johns-Manville, Court Papers (1930)

Court papers (37 pages) in Joseph Stepka's suit against Johns-Manville Corporation, filed in the New Jersey Supreme Court for Somerset County in May 1930 and removed to federal court within days, with New York Indemnity Company as surety on the removal bond. Stepka, who worked at J-M's Manville, New Jersey, plant until April 1930, said he inhaled asbestos "fibers and particles," was never warned of their danger, and "became a victim of pulmonary diseases," and asked $100,000. J-M said it had employed him only "at various times" from December 1926 and pleaded assumed risk, carelessness and the time limit for suing. The case was settled and dismissed on June 13, 1934.

What it shows

The complaint repeats the charges in the other Manville plant suits of 1929 and 1930: no safe place to work, no masks, no proper ventilation and no warning. Stepka died on August 14, 1931, and his widow brought a death suit in 1932 (Verona Stepka v. Johns-Manville).

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

Various pleadings filed in Joseph Stepka v. J-M Corp. Complaint was filed on 5/22/30 in the Supreme Court of Somerset County, New Jersey. Case was removed to the U.S.D.C., New Jersey. Stepka was a textile worker at J-M's Manville plant for approximately 3 years. New York Indemnity was the surety on the removal bond.

Related documents

• Verona Stepka and Magdalena Stepka v. Johns-Manville, Court Papers (1932)

About this copy

This is document 750 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-003821 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-003857.