Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Inc. employees exposed to asbestos

Interestingly, the company is the leading manufacturer of wheel loaders in the world right now, but it actually produces over 400 different types of machinery, such as tracked tractors, backhoe loaders, locomotives, motor graders, and hydraulic excavators. With products and components made in 110 facilities across the world, Caterpillar Inc. has 51 plants in the U.S. You should know that it also manufactures the following, which, during the last century, involved working with asbestos and, inevitably, being exposed to it:

• on-road trucks
• natural gas engines
• gas turbines
• automatic transmissions
• diesel engines
• electronic products

The company divided the products, services, and technologies into 3 principal business lines: machinery, engines, and financial products for sale to private and governmental entities. It also reported that it uses 4 business segments: the construction industry, resource industry, power systems industry, and financial products industry. Sadly, during the last century, Caterpillar Inc. made use of a tremendous amount of asbestos to manufacture automotive components such as brakes, clutches, brake linings, gaskets, hood liners, and engine parts.

Asbestos was ideal for insulating vehicle components because it cannot be set on fire and because it is extremely durable. It would also reduce friction within the components in which it was found as insulation. In the past, drum and disc brakes were manufactured with 35% to 60% asbestos. Alarmingly, today, companies in the U.S. are still allowed to sell auto components that contain asbestos. This can endanger the health of automotive workers and auto mechanics, as these workers have to handle and, inevitably, disturb these vehicle components. As a result, numerous brake and clutch parts continue to have up to 35% asbestos.

The following are the occupational groups Caterpillar Inc. exposed to asbestos in the facilities of the company during the last century and the employees from other industries that were also exposed to asbestos due to handling and disturbing the products of this company:

• factory workers
• auto mechanics
• automotive workers
• insulators
• electricians
• plastic molders

A disturbing 2018 study from Epidemiology: Open Access estimates that 730,000 workers in the U.S. are at high risk of asbestos exposure from brake repairs alone today. This is because asbestos is still allowed in vehicle components nowadays. Other vehicle parts that would contain significant amounts of asbestos during the last century were air conditioning housing, soundproofing, adhesive, woven asbestos backing, and decal stripes.

Secondary asbestos exposure, a serious concern for the family members of Caterpillar Inc. workers

When someone inhales or ingests asbestos fibers from indirect sources, secondary exposure occurs. It would happen very frequently in the homes of asbestos workers, including Caterpillar Inc. employees, during the last century. Since workers handled asbestos or asbestos products directly, they would generate toxic dust that would subsequently stick to their clothes. As a result, when they reunited with their families, they would bring asbestos into the house. Their wives would usually breathe in asbestos fibers when laundering their work clothes, whereas their children would come in contact with asbestos when greeting and hugging their fathers.

If you shared a living space with a family member who used to work with asbestos and you are now suffering from a disease that seems related to asbestos exposure, we advise you to reach out to our law firm, as we have over two decades of experience in toxic exposure cases and are thereby able to help you obtain the money you are entitled to for your pain and suffering. You just have to give our legal team a phone call and explain your situation. Then, you will have to send us the employment records of your family member who worked with asbestos on the job and your medical records so that we can begin working on your claim.

Legal assistance in wrongful death asbestos exposure cases for family members

Regrettably, many victims of asbestos exposure refuse or fail to seek the financial compensation they deserve while they are alive, either because they pass away suddenly or because they fear a long and complicated legal process. If you lost a family member to a disease caused by occupational asbestos exposure who had not taken legal action before, you can now opt to file a wrongful death claim. Doing so will result in you getting compensation on behalf of your departed family member. The money can help you with the funeral expenses, as well as with the past medical expenses of your loved one.

You will first have to call our legal team and explain your situation in detail to file your claim. Afterward, you will need to send our experts a series of documents as evidence, such as the employment and medical records of your family member and their death certificate. Our lawyers will review your case, and you will eventually find out whether you are eligible to file a wrongful death claim. If you are, our attorneys will efficiently prepare it for submission, and our legal experts will search our database for additional proof to support your claim. In the end, you will receive the money you deserve on behalf of your deceased family member.