Thousands of retired and current employees in Ford Motor facilities are at risk of developing dangerous health issues as a result of asbestos exposure.
For nearly 60 years, several thousand Ford Motor plant employees were hired and subsequently exposed to asbestos in the production facilities, as well as different types of asbestos-containing auto parts. Workers in St. Louis, Missouri, Ohio and other states were at risk.
For much of that time, health professionals warned employers and workers about the dangers of auto plant asbestos exposure, though many companies, including Ford Motor, failed to heed the warnings and properly protect their employees.
A study published nearly 40 years ago by the Journal of Occupational Medicine concluded automobile manufacturing employees have an increased risk of lung cancer.
With this knowledge that workers were facing dire health hazards, corporations like Ford carried on manufacturing and chose not to warn employees of the risks.
Nearly any worker at Ford’s St. Louis Assembly could be at risk of developing serious health issues, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated personal injury lawyer representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of toxic tort and mesothelioma claims.
The majority of Ford Motors’ recent major injury lawsuits implicates the company’s asbestos-containing brake linings and clutch facings. Any person handling these products, or facing direct exposure, is at risk of developing a future illness, including factory line workers, brake and clutch assemblers, and warehouse employees.
Many factory workers at the St. Louis plant faced an occupational exposure. These production sites were built with asbestos bricks, drywall, and heating and water pipes. And some employees were even at a higher risk. The Ford Motor occupations most endangered by asbestos include the following:
Ford Motor and other auto companies used asbestos in auto parts and buildings because of its heat-resistant quality. But when these asbestos-containing parts begin to break down through friction, asbestos dust can fill factory floors and warehouses.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) warns that asbestos dust and fibers can spread far and wide, up to 75 feet from the point of initial disruption.
As of the 1990’s Ford still used asbestos some capacity in brake systems. Asbestos linings are also still used in certain imports models. Other common auto parts that may pose a health risk include the following:
When inhaled, asbestos fibers can become lodged in the tissue surrounding the lungs and cause permanent scarring. The embedded fibers can later cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Asbestos-related diseases may present with a variety of symptoms, and may not show until many years after exposure. Due to a long latency period, many former Ford workers may not be diagnosed for up to decades after exposure. Signs and symptoms of lung cancer and mesothelioma typically include:
The majority of the numerous lawsuits filed against Ford Motor Company involve the use of asbestos in its brakes, clutches, transmissions and factory building materials. Brake linings may have contained up to 40 to 60 percent asbestos fibers. The linings were often ground and sanded, causing asbestos fibers to enter the air where it was inhaled by employees.
Employees in St. Louis and other job sites who have been exposed to an unsafe work environment may have been put at risk with various dangerous products.
If former or current workers in Ford plants have been ill and diagnosed with lung conditions, it may be a result of occupational asbestos exposure. Affected employees have a valid claim against their employers, and should consider seeking experienced legal assistance.
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ABOUT THE LYON FIRM
Joseph Lyon has 17 years of experience representing individuals in complex litigation matters. He has represented individuals in every state against many of the largest companies in the world.
The Firm focuses on single-event civil cases and class actions involving corporate neglect & fraud, toxic exposure, product defects & recalls, medical malpractice, and invasion of privacy.
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The Firm offers contingency fees, advancing all costs of the litigation, and accepting the full financial risk, allowing our clients full access to the legal system while reducing the financial stress while they focus on their healthcare and financial needs.
Many experience asbestos exposure through the workplace. Workplaces may have been filled with toxic materials, and employers may have failed to warn of the serious health risks of the job. Filing a suit helps to raise the awareness of job safety.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was first utilized in the early 1900s for its insulating abilities, fireproof properties, and versatility. It has been estimated that over 30 million tons of asbestos was used in the American economy in industrial yards, homes, schools, shipyards, and other workplaces.
The natural breakdown of asbestos products and subsequent sawing or cutting of the asbestos creates dust and fibers that are inhaled and can lead to mesothelioma and other severe forms of lung cancer.
When asbestos breaks down over time or with use, the fibers of the material can become airborne, presenting a risk of inhaling or ingesting the toxin. Asbestos is a cancer-causing agent, and those heavily exposed can develop scarring in the lungs and later develop lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Asbestos was widely used in piping, insulation, electrical components, machine parts, packaging, flooring, ceiling tiles, roofing, and in many building materials.
If you were exposed to asbestos at your workplace, and have developed cancer or a related illness, you are likely to qualify for compensation.
Asbestos was cheap, durable, fire-resistant and light, and was though to be the perfect insulating material before research showed it was extremely hazardous to the health.
The success rates of settlements regarding asbestos exposure injury are quite high. It may be necessary to prove that occupational exposure is the primary cause of lung cancer or mesothelioma, though this is the job of The Lyon Firm, and we have experience in reaching large mesothelioma settlements.
Our Firm will help you find the answers. The Firm has the experience, resources and dedication to take on difficult and emotional cases and help our clients obtain the justice for the wrong they have suffered.
Experience: Joe Lyon is an experienced Asbestos Lawyer. The Lyon Firm has 19 years of experience and success representing individuals and plaintiffs in all fifty states, and in a variety of complex civil litigation matters. Asbestos lawsuits can be complex and require industry experts to determine the root cause of an accident or injury. Mr. Lyon has worked with experts nationwide to assist individuals understand why an injury occurred and what can be done to improve their lives in the future. Some cases may go to a jury trial, though many others can be settled out of court.
Resources/Dedication: The Lyon Firm is dedicated to building the strongest cases possible for clients and their critical interests.
Results: Mr. Lyon has obtained numerous seven and six figure asbestos settlements.
Asbestos can be found in homes built before 1980, construction sites, factories, schools, hospitals, warehouses and many military instillations. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), there are 75 different jobs that can expose workers to asbestos, with those jobs primarily involving construction and manufacturing. Thousands of American workers are affected by asbestos each year.
Mesothelioma is a serious illness that has been linked to asbestos exposure in medical literature. It is estimated that there will be many new cases after 2020 due to the latency period of 20-50 years after being first exposed to asbestos.
The Lyon Firm aggressively, professionally, and passionately advocates for injured individuals and families against companies due to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos (Mesothelioma)
Asbestos (Mesothelioma)
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