Kelsey-Hayes Company

Kelsey-Hayes Company employees exposed to asbestos

Before 1975, asbestos would be present in the automobile industry in unimaginable amounts, as it has plenty of desirable properties, such as resistance to extreme temperatures, durability, and inability to conduct electricity. Numerous vehicle components, such as brakes and clutches, would need good insulation, and back in the day, asbestos was the go-to material, as it was inexpensive to purchase and widely available. Employees who spend plenty of time working on automotive parts containing asbestos are at high risk of toxic exposure. If the facility they work in is poorly ventilated, they end up inhaling and ingesting even more asbestos fibers from the air.

When vehicle components that were made with asbestos were serviced, removed, or installed, the spindly asbestos fibers would get disturbed, leading to asbestos exposure. Some of the specific automotive trades with a high risk of asbestos exposure during the last century were the following:

• collision repair specialists
• diesel service technicians
• master mechanics
• small engine mechanics

In the past, drum and disc brakes were manufactured with up to 60% asbestos. Nowadays, it remains legal in the U.S. to sell vehicle components that have asbestos, and plenty of brakes and clutches still contain roughly 35% asbestos. During the last century, automotive components with asbestos would be used on every type of vehicle, such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, trains, and military vehicles. These are the occupational groups that Kelsey-Hayes Company exposed to asbestos, either directly or indirectly:

• automotive workers
• factory workers
• auto mechanics
• railroad workers
• insulators
• rubber factory workers

Alarmingly, a study published in Epidemiology: Open Access in 2018 estimates that 730,000 workers in our country are at considerable risk of asbestos exposure from brake repairs alone. Therefore, auto mechanics have to take all the necessary precautions when working on vehicles, particularly if the components are old, such as wearing a high-quality respirator and coveralls.

Secondary asbestos exposure, a serious concern for the family members of Kelsey-Hayes Company workers

As a very common issue during the last century in the homes of asbestos workers, including automotive workers, secondary asbestos exposure occurs when a person breathes in or swallows asbestos particles from indirect sources. The indirect source in the case of families was the employee themselves, as they were kept in the dark concerning the health hazard of asbestos exposure, and for this reason, they did not have to change their clothes at the end of the day. Consequently, they would bring asbestos dust home on their clothes, from where their family members would inhale and ingest it.

If you shared a home with a Kelsey-Hayes Company worker during the last century and now have to struggle with a disease that seems related to secondary asbestos exposure, you should give our legal staff a call, as you may be entitled to financial compensation. You just have to send our legal team proof that your family member worked at the company and your medical records, and our attorneys will subsequently examine your case. If we deem you eligible, we will file a claim on your behalf, and you will eventually benefit from the money you deserve for your distress.

Legal assistance in wrongful death asbestos exposure cases for family members

If you lost a family member to a disease caused by occupational asbestos exposure who had not sought legal recourse while alive, you have the option to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf to recover financial compensation. Filing a wrongful death claim is easy, as you will only have to explain your situation and provide our legal team with the employment and medical records of your departed loved one and with their death certificate.

Our lawyers will review your case to let you know whether you are entitled to compensation. If you are deemed eligible to file a wrongful death claim, we will begin working on it as soon as possible, and your involvement in the legal process will be minimal. Even though the sum of money you will receive will be smaller than the one your family member would have got, it can still prove useful for costs such as funeral expenses and past medical expenses.