Asbestos was once a common industrial insulator for its strength and resistance to heat, flame, and corrosion. Nonetheless, asbestos is now known to be a dangerous carcinogen, leading to various illnesses and cancers, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Employees who worked at tire plants or in rubber manufacturing industry in Kentucky may have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma cancer.
Even with the knowledge that their workers faced serious health hazards, corporations like B.F. Goodrich and General Tire & Rubber carried on producing dangerous products, and failed to warn employees of the risks.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Ohio asbestos lawyer investigating mesothelioma and lung cancer claims for former BF Goodrich Kentucky workers. The Firm works nationally and accepts cases on full contingency to eliminate the financial risk from the family.
Rubber and Tire Asbestos Exposure
Most rubber and tire factory workers in the past faced some form of exposure to asbestos. Production plants were often filled with asbestos, and workers could have been exposed in the cafeteria or the factory floor.
Even office workers and management who never directly handled asbestos materials, may have been at risk, and could develop asbestos-related illnesses. If a worker spent only two weeks in areas with the highest concentration of asbestos, that would be enough to be considered high-risk.
Hazards to Workers Nationwide
Companies like General Tire & Rubber and the B.F. Goodrich Tire & Rubber Company are known for producing automobile tires but they also manufactured a number of other products which contained asbestos, including adhesives, sealants, and aircraft components.
B.F. Goodrich also provided the marine industry with various asbestos products, sold under the brand names of Superheat and Vulcalock. Goodrich built conveying systems, transportation belts and belt drives, which contained asbestos.
Rubber & Tire Plant Locations in Kentucky
- BF Goodrich—Paducah, KY
- BF Goodrich—Louisville, KY
- General Tire & Rubber Company—Mayfield, KY
General Tire & BF Goodrich Lawsuits
Injured plaintiffs around the country have filed claims against General Tire and B.F. Goodrich, many noting occupational exposure to asbestos in work sites. Many former employees worked for up to 40 years at a toxic workplace without ever knowing they were at risk.
Because there have been so many claims and lawsuits filed, an Asbestos Trust worth $80 million was set up in 2004 after a class action settlement was reached with attorneys representing thousands of U.S. rubber workers with asbestos claims.
In almost any B.F. Goodrich rubber plant in the last 50 years, asbestos fibers may have been released into the air and easily inhaled or ingested, leading to the development of cancers, asbestosis and mesothelioma. If former B.F. Goodrich employees fall ill, or are diagnosed with lung conditions, it may be a result of asbestos exposure.
