Document 07371n7j5vO21eD4Lm65MXok
BY ShER/fe Special Deputy
Attorney(s) Smith, Stratton, Wise, Heher & Brennan Office Address & Tel No One Palmer Square, Princeton, NJ
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff(s)
08540 (609) 924-6000
Plaintiff (s)
CARL R PATTON and CYNTHIA L PATTON, as
Administrators ad Prosequendum for the heirs-
at-law of LISA GAIL PATTON, deceased, and
CARL R PATTON and CYNTHIA L PATTON, indiv
idually
vs
Defendant (at
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CORP , a/k/a HOOKER CHEMICAL & PLASTICS CORP
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
LAW DIVISION BURLINGTON COUNTY Docket No L-018465-82
CIVIL ACTION
g'unraumH
Wt}t g>tate of Jleto Serfiep to tfje gbobe i&ameb Befenbant(g)
YOUARE HEREBYSUMMONED in a Civil Action in the Superior Court ofNew Jersey instituted by
the above named plamtiff(s) and required to seme upon the attorney(s) for the plamtiff(s) whose name
and office address appears above an answer to the annexed complaint within
20 days after the
service of the summons and complaint upon you exclusive of the day of semce If you fail to answer
judgment by default may be rendei ed against you for the relief demanded in the complaint You shall
promptly file your answer and proof of semice thereof m duplicate mth the Clerk of the Superior Court
P O Box 1300 Trenton Neu Jersey 08625 m accordance with the rules of civil practice and procedure
If you are unable to obtain an attorney you may communicate with the Neu Jersey State Bar Association
by calling toll free 800 792 8315 You may also contact the Lawyer Referral Set vice of the County in which
you reside by calling
If you cannot afford an attorney you may communicate
with the Legal Sen tees office of the County m which you reside by calling
Dated December 1,
19 82
La11( lmS
c-
Name of defendant to be seried Address for semice
Clerk of the Superior Court Occidental Chemical Corp , a/k/a Hooker Chemical
& Plastics Corp
Corporation Trust Company
2 8 West State Street
OCC 015883
Trenton, NJ 08608
31 -- N J SUMMONS -- SUPERIOR COURT (R ed 9/8/801
ADG VST
COPYRIGHT! 1969 BY ALL STATE LEGAL SUPPLY CO 259 SHEFFIELD STREET MOUNTAINSIDE NJ 07092
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LAW OFFICES
Smith Stratton Wise, heher a Brennan
ONE PALMER SQUARE (P O BOX 1154) PRINCETON NEW JERSEY 08540
(609) 924 6000
attorneys for - Plaintiffs____________
SUPERIOR COURT OP NEW JERSEY
LAW DIVISION-BURLINGTON COUNTY DOCKET NO
CARL R PATTON and CYNTHIA L PATTON, as Administrators ad Prosequendum for the heirsat-law Of LISA GAIL PATTON, deceased, and CARL R PATTON
and CYNTHIA L PATTON, individually.
) ) ) )
Civil Action COMPLAINT AND JURY DEMAND
Plaintiffs,
)
VS )
OCCIDENTALCHEMICAL CORP ,
a/k/a HOOKER CHEMICAL &
PLASTICS CORP
,
J )
Defendant
)
Plaintiffs, Carl R Patton and Cynthia L Patton, residing at 3933 E Falcon Court North, McGuire Air Force Base, Borough of Wrightstown, State of New Jersey 08641, through their attorneys.
OCC 015884
Smith, Stratton, Wise, Heher & Brennan, complaining of the
defendant, say
FIRST COUNT
1 Defendant Occidental Chemical Corp , a/k/a Hooker
Chemicals & Plastics Corp , (hereinafter "Hooker") is a subsidi
ary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, a New York corporation
authorized to do business and doing business in New Jersey
2 On or about the 23 day of November, 1982, Letters of
Administration ad Prosequendum were granted by the Surrogate of
the County of Burlington, State of New _ Jersey, to the plaintiffs, Carl R Patton and Cynthia L Patton, for the purpose of prosecuting a claim of the heirs-at-law of Lisa Gail
Patton, ("Lisa Patton") deceased, against the defendant for the
death of Lisa Gail Patton
3 Lisa Patton left surviving her as her heirs-at-law her
mother, Cynthia L Patton, and her father, Carl R Patton, and
siblings. Tiffany, Jill and David John,
all of whom have
sustained pecuniary damages from the death of Lisa Patton
4 This action has been commenced within two years after
the death of Lisa Patton
5 Plaintiff Cynthia Patton was employed by and worked at
defendant Hooker, Ruco Division, located in Burlington, New
Jersey, from on or about December 17, 1979 until on or about
November 17, 1980 Mrs Patton became pregnant in March, 1980,
OCC 015885
and continued working for defendant Hooker until three weeks before her baby was due
6 Plaintiff Cynthia Patton was exposed during the time she worked for defendant Hooker and during the time she was pregnant to a number of chemicals present at the Hooker facil ity, including without limitation chromium, lead chromate, arsenic, PVC, vinyl chloride (monomers), IIP (rubber resins), benzene, cadmium and resins (nitro-oxide)
7 Plaintiff Cynthia Patton gave birth on December 5, 1980 to a severely deformed baby girl, Lisa Patton, who was diagnosed as having spina bifida, club feet, and severe respira tory problems
8 Lisa Patton survived only seven months, and died m July, 1981
9 Prior the the birth of Lisa Patton, plaintiff Cynthia Patton had given birth to two healthy, normal children Subse quent to Lisa Patton's death, plaintiff Cynthia Patton gave birth in the spring of 1982 to a healthy, normal child
10 The aforesaid deformity and illness of Lisa Patton was caused by the exposure of plaintiff Cynthia Patton during her pregnancy while she was employed by defendant Hooker to the chemicals present at the defendant's facility located in Burlington, New Jersey, m that defendant Hooker negligently and wrongfully failed to provide a safe working environment and neg ligently and wrongfully failed to warn of the dangers of expo-
OCC 015886
-i
-4-
sure to the various chemicals present, and was otherwise negli
gent 11
As a result of the aforesaid exposure, Lisa Patton
suffered severe injuries resulting m her death, which caused
pecuniary injury to her heirs-at-law
WHEREFORE, plaintiffs Carl R Patton and Cynthia L Patton, as Administrators ad Prosequendum for the heirs-at-law of Lisa
Gail Patton, demand judgment against defendant for damages,
interest, and costs of suit
SECOND COUNT 1 Plaintiffs repeat the allegations of the First Count
herein 2
As a result of the aforesaid deformity and illness,
significant hospital, medical and funeral expenses were incurred
on behalf of Lisa Patton WHEREFORE, plaintiffs Carl Patton and Cynthia Patton, as
Administrators ad Prosequendum for the heirs-at-law of Lisa Patton, demand judgment against defendant for damages, interest,
and costs of suit
THIRD COUNT 1 Plaintiffs repeat the allegations of Paragraph 1 of the First Count herein 2 As a result of the aforesaid exposure, Lisa Patton suffered severe painful bodily deformities including, without
OCC 015887
limitation, spina bifida, club feet and respiratory problems, and other serious injuries which caused her great pain and suf fering until her death
WHEREFORE, plaintiffs Carl R Patton and Cynthia L Patton, as Administrators ad Prosequendum for Lisa Gail Patton, demand judgment against defendant for damages, interest, and costs of suit
FIFTH COUNT 1 Plaintiffs repeat the allegations of the First Count herein 2 As a result of the aforesaid exposure, plaintiffs Cynthia L Patton and Carl R Patton suffered severe pain and emotional distress during the pregnancy of Cynthia Patton, and after the birth and during the life of Lisa Patton WHEREFORE, plaintiffs Carl R Patton and Cynthia L Patton, individually, demand judgment against defendant for damages, interest and costs of suit
SMITH, STRATTON, WISE, HEHER & BRENNAN
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
Dated
Robert A White
OCC 015888
JURY DEMAND
Plaintiffs demand trial by jury
SMITH, STRATTON, WISE, HEHER & BRENNAN
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
Dated November
1982
G^
Robert A White
OCC 015889