Thousands of retired employees of the Ford and Chrysler Saint Louis Assembly facilities are at risk of developing dangerous health issues as a result of asbestos exposure.
Several thousand Ford and Chrysler employees were hired and subsequently exposed to asbestos in the production facilities, as well as different types of asbestos-containing auto parts.
For much of that time, health professionals warned employers and workers about the dangers of auto plant asbestos exposure, though many companies, including Ford and Chrysler, 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 carried on manufacturing and chose not to warn employees of the risks.
Nearly any worker in the Saint Louis Assembly plants 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.
Saint Louis Assembly Plant Cancer Risk
The majority of Ford and Chrysler recent major injury lawsuits implicates 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 Saint Louis Assembly plants 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 occupations most endangered by asbestos include the following:
- Brake and Clutch assemblers
- Boiler workers
- Lathe operators
- Drill press operators
- Grinding operators—any workers polishing product surfaces
- Assembly line workers
- Maintenance Crews
- Welders
- Machinists
- Warehouse workers
Auto Industry Asbestos Exposure
Ford, Chrysler 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.
Asbestos linings are also still used in certain imports models. Other common auto parts that may pose a health risk include the following:
- Adhesives
- Transmissions—manual and automatic
- Clutch Linings
- Brake Linings
- Engine housing
- Gaskets
Saint Louis Assembly Asbestos
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 Saint Louis Assembly workers may not be diagnosed for up to decades after exposure. Signs and symptoms of lung cancer and mesothelioma typically include:
- Chest Pain
- Cough
- Persistent fatigue
- Trouble swallowing and breathing
- Swelling of the abdomen
Legal Action for Saint Louis Assembly Workers
The majority of the numerous lawsuits 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 of Saint Louis auto plants who have been exposed to an unsafe work environment may have been put at risk with various dangerous products.
If former workers at auto 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.
