The Lyon Firm is investigating occupational cancer claims and related asbestos diseases related to past employment at General Tire and other rubber manufacturers. Contact our legal team for more information on mesothelioma and lung cancer claims.
General Tire, along with Firestone, BF Goodrich and Goodyear, was a leading manufacturer of car and truck tires. Most of the rubber world was centered in Akron, Ohio, and thousands of workers in the industry were working in toxic environments. Years later, a number of illnesses and cancers are directly linked to tire producers and the toxins involved.
The General Tire and Rubber Company was established in 1915 and grew quickly into one of the largest American tire companies. The company employed tens of thousands of workers over the years, many of whom would later get diagnosed with benzene and asbestos-related illnesses and cancers like mesothelioma.
The General Tire & Rubber Company mainly produced tires, but also a variety of other rubber products that may have also been produced in facilities using asbestos in various capacities. The company expanded operations over the years, opening other tire plants in Akron, and Bryan, Ohio, as well as in Kentucky and Illinois.
In June of 1987, General Tire was sold to a German tire group after a long and storied history. But the legacy lives on, and unfortunately in a very dire way. Former General Tire workers are still being diagnosed with cancer each year.
Why Did General Tire Use Asbestos?
Asbestos was mostly used in industrial capacities due to its durability and heat resistance. It is now known that the material can directly lead to mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other health disorders.
Joe Lyon is an experienced Ohio asbestos lawyer representing former General Tire rubber worker nationwide in mesothelioma cancer asbestos claims.
General Tire & Rubber was primarily making car and truck tires but they also manufactured gaskets and seals that contained asbestos. The gaskets were used to seal pipes, pumps, and rubber plant machinery.
The first documented case of mesothelioma was linked to asbestos exposure in 1964, but many American companies did not make any changes in work safety until years later when OSHA and the CDC pushed for a safer work environment.
Asbestos fibers were filling rubber plants until the 1980s and as a result, thousands of workers fell ill. Because the cancer may not be diagnosed until decades later, former staff may still be diagnosed with mesothelioma and lung cancer. Contact our lawyers with medical records and your work history documentation to begin a claim.
