Ososki v. Johns-Manville, Court Papers (1933)

Court papers (35 pages) in Alexander Ososki's suit against Johns-Manville Corporation, begun with a New Jersey Supreme Court summons of September 12, 1933, and removed to federal court a week later. The complaint said the Manville plant was "constantly filled with mineral and stone dusts" from a "fibre grinding operation," that J-M failed to supply breathing apparatus, masks or a working ventilation system or to warn him, and that he contracted "active pulmonary tuberculosis of both lungs" and other illness; it asked $250,000. The removal petition was attested by Vandiver Brown as J-M's assistant secretary. The case was settled and discontinued in January 1934.

What it shows

The complaint charged that J-M had "full knowledge and notice" of the dust's "detrimental, dangerous, lethal and deadly effects" and that a blowing system it installed was inadequate and made conditions worse. It does not name asbestos in the pages that survive. The quick settlement fits the pattern of the other Manville plant suits of the period.

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 Alexander Ososki v. J-M Corp. Complaint was filed on 10/4/33 in the Supreme Court of Somerset County, New Jersey. Case was removed to the U.S.D.C., New Jersey. Ososki was a textile worker at J-M's Manville plant for approximately 6 years. U.S. Guarantee Company was the surety on the removal bond.

About this copy

This is document 753 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-003989 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-004023.