Carrier Corporation

Carrier Corporation & Asbestos Exposure

Founded in 1915 by Willis Carrier, Carrier Corporation is widely recognized as the first manufacturer of air conditioners. Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, the company grew rapidly through several key acquisitions, expanding its product lines to include boilers, compressors, refrigeration units, and HVAC systems. 

However, like many manufacturers, Carrier used asbestos liberally throughout its manufacturing facilities, including in construction materials used to build the facilities and in its production machinery. Several of the company’s popular products also contained asbestos components or were designed for use with asbestos products.

Its ongoing use of asbestos insulation, gaskets, compressors, and pipe covering exposed thousands of workers, end-users, and consumers to asbestos, putting them at risk for serious asbestos-related illnesses. Carrier continued using asbestos until the 1980s. 

Carrier is still an active company. According to its third-quarter 2025 report, Carrier expects to make $22 billion in sales for the year. 

Dangers of Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, but its natural origin doesn’t make it safe. All six recognized forms of asbestos are toxic and carcinogenic, with some posing greater risks than others.

Despite their differences, every asbestos type shares key characteristics: they break down into microscopic, non-conductive fibers that are incredibly strong and highly resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals. These qualities made asbestos a prized industrial material throughout the 20th century for manufacturers like Carrier.

Unfortunately, the same qualities that made asbestos useful also make it dangerous. When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, tiny fibers can become airborne. Once inhaled or ingested, these fibers do not break down. Instead, they embed in the body’s tissues, causing inflammation, scarring, and cellular damage that can lead to life-threatening diseases.

Asbestos-related illnesses include:

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

One of the most serious conditions linked to asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer that forms in the protective lining around organs. Treating mesothelioma can be financially devastating, costing patients an average of $400,000 per year in out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Financial Compensation from Carrier Corporation

Carrier Corporation has never filed for bankruptcy and has not created an asbestos trust fund to compensate those harmed by its past use of asbestos. As a result, injured workers and their families must pursue compensation directly through the court system.

Victims typically rely on two main types of legal claims when seeking compensation from asbestos manufacturers:

• 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.

If you’re eligible for compensation from Carrier, you may also qualify for compensation from other asbestos companies. The relationships between asbestos manufacturers are complex and deeply interconnected. A good asbestos attorney can help you identify all of the companies responsible for your exposure, holding them accountable while maximizing your compensation.

Victims and loved ones may also be eligible for other forms of financial compensation or assistance, including:

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

Asbestos Lawsuits Against Carrier Corporation

Like many companies with a history of asbestos use, Carrier Corporation often attempts to deny or downplay its responsibility for exposing workers and consumers to asbestos. However, with the guidance of an experienced asbestos attorney, victims can build a compelling case and pursue compensation.

James Smith

James Smith was an HVAC worker who developed mesothelioma after years of exposure to asbestos-containing insulation and components in Carrier machinery. Mr. Smith’s legal team successfully highlighted the company’s failure to warn about the dangers of asbestos, and he was awarded $10 million.

Doris Anne Cox

Doris Anne Cox sued Carrier on her own behalf and as the representative of her husband’s estate. Mr. Cox served in the U.S. Navy from 1965 to 1968, during which he was exposed to asbestos while serving aboard the USS Chukawan. Carrier sought summary judgment to dismiss the case, but was denied. 

Ronald Phipps

When Ronald Phipps developed a fatal asbestos-related illness decades after performing compressor overhauls and repairs at worksites where Carrier compressors were present, his wife filed a lawsuit seeking justice. Carrier tried to have the case dismissed, but the court rejected those efforts and allowed the lawsuit to move forward.

Robert Horst Jr.

The estate of Robert Horst Jr. sued Carrier and others following his death from mesothelioma. Mr. Horst was exposed to asbestos while working as a plumber and performing HVAC work using Carrier products. Unfortunately, the jury found in favor of the defendant, citing a lack of proof that Mr. Horst’s illness was caused by asbestos exposure from Carrier’s products.

Asbestos-Containing Products Used at Carrier Corporation

Carrier’s asbestos liability comes from two primary sources. The first is the asbestos used in its manufacturing facilities, particularly those in Syracuse, New York. The second stems from the use of asbestos components in its products.

How asbestos was used in Carrier’s manufacturing plants:

• Boilers (insulation and refractory lining)
• Gaskets
• Grinding/polishing wheels
• Heat shields
• Machine brakes
• Pipe insulation
• Protective clothing (gloves)
• Pumps
• Valves

Asbestos-containing products and components:

• Bryant brand boilers (asbestos gaskets and insulation)
• Carlisle brand compressors (asbestos gaskets)
• Ductwork (asbestos tape)
• HVAC systems (asbestos gaskets)

Occupations At-Risk

As one of the earliest and most influential air-conditioning manufacturers, Carrier Corporation had a wide-reaching presence. Its use of asbestos put not only its own employees at risk, but also countless workers who handled or worked near its extensive range of products.

High-risk occupations include:

• Boiler technicians/workers
• Construction workers
• Electricians
• Engineers
• HVAC workers
• Laborers
• Maintenance workers
• Machinists
• Millwrights
• Plumbers
• Sheetmetal workers
• Welders

Asbestos fibers can easily cling to hair, skin, and clothing. As a result, family members and loved ones of asbestos workers often faced significant danger through secondary, or “take-home,” exposure. Tragically, many people have developed serious illnesses after unknowingly coming into contact with asbestos brought home from the workplace.

– Daniel Wasserberg, Attorney

Get Help Today 

A diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness can upend every aspect of life. Mounting medical bills, loss of income, physical pain, and emotional strain can quickly overwhelm victims and their families. In many cases, filing a legal claim is the only path to securing the financial support needed to move forward.

Carrier Corporation, like most companies with an asbestos legacy, has a full-time legal team focused on defending against claims from those it harmed. You deserve the same level of dedicated, experienced representation. The Mesothelioma Fund, together with our legal partners at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, is here to help.

Meirowitz & Wasserberg’s attorneys are seasoned asbestos litigators with decades of combined experience. Their team has a proven track record of obtaining meaningful compensation for victims through both settlements and courtroom victories.

If you or a loved one suffered harm due to asbestos exposure from Carrier Corporation, don’t wait to seek help. Contact us today for a free consultation and learn more about your eligibility and potential case value.

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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