3M Company & Asbestos Exposure

The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, now known as 3M, is a thriving multinational conglomerate with operations in 70 countries and sales in over 200. 

From the 1930s to the 1980s, 3M incorporated asbestos into the production of various widely used products, including adhesives, tape, laminate, cloth, and caulking.

Known for being lightweight, durable, cost-effective, and highly resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals, asbestos was a popular choice in manufacturing. Unfortunately, these products exposed both 3M factory workers and end-users to asbestos, putting their health at serious risk.

3M also manufactured protective masks and other equipment falsely advertised as protecting users against asbestos exposure. Much of its current asbestos liability comes from lawsuits related to its personal protective equipment lines.

Unlike many major asbestos manufacturers, 3M has never declared bankruptcy. The company prefers to handle its asbestos liability through lawsuits and has a long history of settling out of court for undisclosed sums. 

3M has faced thousands of lawsuits and paid almost $300 million in settlements related to asbestos exposure.

See if you qualify for financial compensation due to asbestos exposure from The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M).

3M Company & History of Asbestos Usage

Headquartered in Minnesota, 3M was founded in 1902 as a corundum mining operation. When the corundum they were searching for turned out to be anorthosite, 3M rapidly pivoted to manufacturing.

With early successes like the Scotch Tape brand, 3M continued to expand its product offerings in the coming decades. It began manufacturing asbestos products in the 1930s and continued using the dangerous mineral until the 1980s when it started phasing it out.

Like many asbestos companies, 3M continued to use asbestos even after it was clear that it presented a serious health risk to both employees and end-users. Worse, they began manufacturing face masks that they falsely claimed protected users against asbestos, endangering everyone who trusted in these products.  

Due to the continued popularity of 3M products, the company has employed hundreds of thousands of workers since its formation. Today, 3M holds over 100,000 patents, and its current product range includes over 60,000 individual items.

Fill out the form below to see if you may be eligible for financial compensation.

Dangers of Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos is the umbrella term given to a family of six minerals. It’s highly durable and was valued by manufacturers in the 20th century for its tensile strength and resistance to heat, fire, and chemicals. 

Unfortunately, asbestos is also a widely recognized carcinogen that can cause serious illnesses in those exposed to it, often decades later.

When disturbed, asbestos particles can be inhaled or ingested, entering the body and causing inflammation, scarring, and DNA damage that can lead to various asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that develops in the mesothelium, the thin lining surrounding various organs. It most commonly affects the lungs but can also affect the abdomen, heart, and testes. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure.

Due to its breathability, asbestos exposure often leads to lung cancer. Because lung cancer can have several causes, linking it to asbestos can be challenging, requiring significant medical and exposure evidence.

Other asbestos-related diseases:

• Asbestosis 
• Other cancer
• Pleural effusions
• Pleural plaques
• Pleural thickening

Financial Compensation From the Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company

Compensation may be available to victims exposed to asbestos due to 3M’s negligence. Living victims are eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit, allowing them to seek compensation for the losses they have suffered due to their asbestos exposure. Family members of deceased asbestos exposure victims may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

3M has a long history of settling these claims out of court for undisclosed sums. Relatively few cases go to trial. 

Additional forms of compensation like benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), workers’ compensation, and more may also be available. Working with an experienced asbestos attorney can help you understand your options.

Asbestos Lawsuits Against 3M

3M Products Containing Asbestos

Many of 3M’s products benefitted from asbestos’s durability and heat resistance. Asbestos is strong and lightweight, making it a seemingly perfect choice for many manufacturers.

However, the use of asbestos by 3M undoubtedly contributed to a high risk of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma for their employees and consumers.

Some of the 3M products known to contain asbestos include:

• 3M Adhesive
• 3M Wet Adhesives
• 3M Caulk
• 3M Centerlite
• 3M Greenlite Powder
• 3M Hot Melt Sunset Resin
• 3M Sticky Tar Caulking
• 3M Dust Masks
• 3M Heat Protective Rolls
• 3M Rubber Coated Asbestos Cloth
• 3M Heating Elements
• 3M Laminated Sheets
• Irvington Arc Proofing Tapes and Blankets

3M Respirators & Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Although 3M did not manufacture protective and safety gear using asbestos, their 1960s masks — specifically the 3M 8500 and 8710 models — inadvertently exposed some workers to harmful asbestos fibers.

Workers who filed lawsuits alleged that 3M’s 8500 dust mask failed to adequately protect against asbestos fibers, despite the company’s claim that it could defend against the toxic dust. 3M argued that they never marketed the masks as suitable for use around asbestos.

On the other hand, the 8710 disposable respirator was approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for worksites with asbestos. However, this approval was granted only for use on sites with asbestos levels ten times lower than the permissible exposure limit.

Occupations at Risk From 3M Products

Before federal asbestos legislation was introduced in the 1970s, the mineral was used to manufacture a wide variety of the company’s products. Asbestos posed a threat not just to 3M factory employees but also to end users who may have come into contact with the toxic fibers. 

The occupations affected by 3M’s operations include:

• Factory workers
• Mechanics
• Shipyard workers
• Construction workers
• Engineers
• Boilermakers
• HVAC technicians

Due to the nature of their work, many in these industries are at the highest risk of asbestos exposure. 

Dangers of Secondhand Exposure

Asbestos fibers cling easily to hair, skin, and fabric. Many asbestos workers unintentionally endangered their families and loved ones through secondhand asbestos exposure.  

For example, if the fibers were brought into the home via clothing, these particles could be disturbed, released into the air, and inhaled into the lungs during normal household activities like laundry.

Get Help Today 

3M endangered tens of thousands of workers in the U.S. alone. Not only did they use asbestos to manufacture their products, but they also sold protective equipment falsely claiming to protect against asbestos exposure. 

The only way for victims of 3M asbestos exposure to recover compensation from the company is to file an asbestos injury lawsuit. But where do you start, and what do you need?

Partnering with an experienced asbestos attorney is essential to pursuing maximum compensation with minimal stress. At Meirowitz & Wasserberg, our asbestos litigation experts provide a free initial consultation to review your case and explore your options.

Our team brings the resources, expertise, and dedication needed to give your case the strongest chance of success. With a proven track record of securing asbestos settlements exceeding $1 million, Meirowitz & Wasserberg is committed to helping you achieve justice and compensation.

If you or someone you love has been injured by 3M asbestos exposure, contact us today for a free consultation.

Written & Legally Reviewed By

Samuel Meirowitz

Attorney and On-Site Legal Advocate

Samuel Meirowitz is a member of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers.” Mr. Meirowitz was named a “Rising Star” in 2013 & 2014 by Super Lawyers and then a Super Lawyer every year since 2016. In 2013, Mr. Meirowitz obtained what is believed to be the first multi-million-dollar asbestos verdict seen in more than two decades in a New York federal court. In that highly contentious matter, Mr. Meirowitz was able to convince the jury to hold a boiler manufacturer responsible for 60 percent of the $3.8 million awarded, despite the defendant’s attempt to escape all blame by pointing fingers at the plaintiff’s employer and the U.S. Navy (in which the plaintiff admirably served from 1966-70 during the Vietnam conflict). This verdict was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

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