Boeing

Boeing & Asbestos Exposure

The Boeing Company was founded in 1916 by timber baron William Boeing. It was initially known as Pacific Aero Products Co., changing its name to Boeing Airplane Co. just one year after its founding. 

The Boeing Company expanded through the acquisition of numerous aerospace and defense companies during the 20th century, diversifying into multiple product lines and subsidiaries that provided related products and services.

Boeing, which became a major manufacturer of commercial aircraft, military planes, and aerospace systems, relied on asbestos-containing parts from the 1930s through the 1980s. Despite growing evidence of the material’s cancer risks, its strength, heat resistance, and fireproofing qualities kept it in widespread use.

Like many companies of the era, Boeing continued incorporating asbestos into its products long after its health dangers were well known, prioritizing its industrial benefits over worker safety. 

Dangers of Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos refers to a group of six naturally occurring minerals that share similar characteristics: they are strong, heat-resistant, nonconductive, and highly durable. These qualities made asbestos a prized industrial additive for decades, including in Boeing’s manufacturing processes. However, asbestos is also a potent carcinogen.

When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, microscopic fibers can become airborne. Once inhaled or ingested, these fibers can lodge in the body’s tissues, causing inflammation, scarring, and cellular damage. Over time, this can lead to severe conditions, including deadly cancers caused by DNA mutations triggered by the fibers.

Asbestos-related illnesses include:

• Mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Asbestosis
• Pleural thickening
• Pleural plaques
• Pleural effusions
• Other forms of cancer

Mesothelioma is a rare, highly lethal cancer affecting the membranes surrounding internal organs. The cost of treatment is substantial, often exceeding $400,000 annually in out-of-pocket expenses, making it an unaffordable burden for the majority of families.

Financial Compensation From Boeing

Boeing has never filed for bankruptcy protection. Instead, the aerospace giant chooses to handle its asbestos liability through the court system.

Victims and their families who want to pursue legal compensation from Boeing have two primary options:

• Personal injury lawsuit: Allows living victims of asbestos exposure to seek compensation for their losses.
• Wrongful death lawsuit: Allows the dependents or family members of deceased asbestos exposure victims to recover damages for the loss of their loved one.

Due to the complexity of asbestos supply chains and the close relationships between manufacturers, many asbestos exposure victims are eligible to pursue compensation from multiple companies. An experienced asbestos attorney can help clients understand the full scope of their claims, ensuring they maximize potential compensation.

You may also be able to pursue additional forms of compensation, including:

• Benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• Asbestos trust funds
• Workers’ compensation
• Treatment grants 

Asbestos Lawsuits Against Boeing 

Because Boeing and its corporate legal team will use every strategy to minimize damages awarded to victims, those pursuing claims against the company require representation from an attorney experienced in asbestos personal injury cases.

While Boeing has avoided some of the massive verdicts seen in other industries, a number of plaintiffs have successfully brought claims against the company.

Gary Walston

Gary Walston spent over 35 years working at Boeing in Seattle. In 1985, while repairing pipes, he was exposed to asbestos dust. Walston later sued Boeing after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, alleging the company failed to provide adequate safeguards.

However, the courts ultimately exonerated Boeing, ruling that the company did not have “actual knowledge” that its actions were likely to cause injury.

Connie Dietrich

Connie Dietrich, the wife of a Boeing employee, sued, claiming she had contracted malignant pleural mesothelioma due to secondary exposure to the asbestos brought home by her husband, who worked with Boeing aircraft. Boeing had the case removed to federal court, where it was subsequently delayed.

Mary Holste

Mary Holste was diagnosed with mesothelioma via secondary exposure from her husband’s work clothes. Although she sued Boeing, her case was based on “take-home” exposure from a Boeing-affiliated facility. The company later tried to halt the case on the basis of jurisdiction, but it was sent back to the state court.

Frank Williams

Frank Williams was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2008. His family attributed his illness to his decades of employment at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans. Following his death, the family continued the lawsuit against Boeing and other defendants.

Despite the plaintiff’s legal team presenting project proposals, contracts, reports, and other documents that “indicate that asbestos was used at the facility during the time of Boeing’s custody,” Boeing was granted summary judgment in its favor.

Asbestos-Containing Products Used at Boeing

Similar to other major airplane manufacturers in the 20th century, Boeing incorporated asbestos-containing parts into its aircraft. This was due to the material’s inherent strength and its resistance to both heat and fire. 

As a result, many planes sold by Boeing to the United States Air Force contained components with asbestos, with some, like brake systems, containing as much as 23% asbestos.

Asbestos-contaminated components used at Boeing include:

• Asbestos blankets/textiles/fabrics
• Adhesives
• Brake pads/systems 
• Engine components
• Epoxies
• Fuselage components
• Gaskets 
• Insulation
• Landing gear
• Protective clothing (i.e., gloves, suits, etc.)
• Valves
• Wing components

Occupations At-Risk

Boeing, a global leader in the aerospace industry for over a century, has an extensive reach, building aircraft for commercial, passenger, and military purposes. However, for decades, the company’s negligent use of asbestos exposed thousands of aerospace workers and their family members to harm.

High-risk occupations and groups include:

• ​​Aircraft handlers
• Aircraft mechanics
• Aerospace engineers
• Boeing employees
• Communications repair workers
• Factory workers
• Firefighters
• Electricians
• Machinists
• Maintenance staff
• Pilots
• Supply chain workers
• U.S. Air Force veterans

Secondhand asbestos exposure poses serious risks to the family members and loved ones of those who worked in the industry. Workers often unknowingly carried asbestos fibers home on their hair, skin, and clothing, exposing everyone in the household to the risk of asbestos-related illness.

Get Help Today 

Companies like Boeing were aware of the health risks linked to asbestos use. Despite this knowledge, asbestos-containing components continued to be used in ways that put workers and others at risk of serious illness and significant medical expenses.

The Mesothelioma Fund, together with our legal partners at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, is available to support individuals affected by asbestos exposure. The Meirowitz & Wasserberg team has decades of experience handling asbestos cases and understands the complexities involved in pursuing these claims.

You don’t have to navigate the challenges of an asbestos lawsuit on your own. The Mesothelioma Fund is here to provide guidance and help you understand your legal options. Contact us today for a free case assessment.

Written & Legally Reviewed By

Daniel Wasserberg, Esq. Attorney and On-Site Legal Advocate

Daniel Wasserberg was a New York metropolitan area “Super Lawyer Rising Star” from 2013 to 2018 (attorneys under age 40), and a Super Lawyer in 2019. In 2017, Daniel was named a “Top 100 Civil Litigator” by the National Trial Lawyers organization. This recognition is rarely awarded to attorneys under the age of 40. Daniel is proud to call himself a Trial Lawyer, and is often asked to speak at gatherings of the nation’s leading attorneys, from both sides of the bar.

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