Ford Motor Company & Asbestos Exposure

Fact checked and legally reviewed by Samuel Meirowitz • Contributor & Legal Advisor

American icon Ford Motor Company began using asbestos in its products from the moment it was founded.

If you or someone you love has developed an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma as a result of exposure to Ford asbestos products, you may be eligible for compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.

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Ford used asbestos throughout their clutches, gaskets, engines, and transmissions. These products contained up to 60% chrysotile asbestos, endangering Ford factory employees, auto mechanics, and others nationwide.

If you worked at Ford or worked with their products, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

Key Facts About Ford Motor Company

  • Compensation: Ford does not have an asbestos trust fund. Victims of Ford asbestos exposure must seek compensation through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
  • Products: Ford manufactured a wide range of automotive parts, including brakes, clutches, and gaskets, all containing high concentrations of chrysotile asbestos.
  • Occupations: Auto mechanics and Ford factory workers exposed to asbestos face the highest risk of developing an asbestos-related disease.
  • Get Help Today: Reach out to us today for a free case evaluation to determine your potential eligibility for compensation from Ford Motor Company.

Ford Motor Company & History of Asbestos Usage

Founded in 1903 by Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company remains one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in the world. The company began using asbestos in their cars from the moment they started producing them and continued to sell asbestos products until 2001.

Asbestos was valued for its tensile strength and heat and chemical resistance. These properties make it a seemingly ideal material to be used in vehicle parts at risk of failure due to high heat and friction.

In reality, asbestos is highly carcinogenic, a fact Ford became aware of as early as 1968, according to internal documents. 

In 1971, an internal Ford memo lamented the cost of changing their brake systems to a non-asbestos material. It would have cost the company $1.25 more per system to make this change.

Beginning in 2001, Ford has spent more than $40 million funding private research to break the link between asbestos exposure and the development of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma. They were fined for asbestos violations in their Buffalo, New York plant as recently as 2013.

Fill out the form below to see if you may be eligible for compensation from Ford Motor Company.

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Asbestos refers to a group of six minerals with similar structures and properties. Once widely used, asbestos is now a globally recognized carcinogen. 

Asbestos easily separates into thin, breathable fibers that become airborne during use. When inhaled or swallowed, asbestos fibers can lodge into cellular tissue — where they remain, causing irritation, inflammation, and scarring that can lead to serious illnesses. 

Most asbestos-related diseases have a long latency period, and it’s normal for decades to pass between exposure to asbestos and diagnosis.

Mesothelioma is a particularly devastating form of cancer, its only cause being asbestos exposure. It develops in the thin linings surrounding the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testes. 

Asbestos also has strong links to the development of lung cancer, but identifying this link in individuals can be challenging as lung cancer has several known causes.

Other asbestos-related diseases include:

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

Financial Compensation From Ford Motor Company

If you worked for Ford or with Ford products and have developed an asbestos-related illness, you may qualify for compensation. Because Ford products were widely used across many industries and companies, you may be eligible to collect multiple forms of support.

Unlike many asbestos product manufacturers, Ford does not operate an asbestos trust fund. Filing a lawsuit is the only way to recover funds directly from Ford.

Living asbestos exposure victims may choose to file a personal injury lawsuit, seeking compensation for the harm done to them. 

Family members of deceased asbestos exposure victims can also seek compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit. This process allows grieving family members to recover from damages related to the loss of their loved one.

Asbestos Lawsuits Against Ford Motor Company

William Trokey

A 2022 jury in St. Louis, Missouri, awarded William Trokey $20 million in damages against Ford Motor Company. A former mechanic who worked on Ford brakes in the 1960s, Mr. Trokey was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2020. Ford attempted to appeal the verdict, but it was upheld on appeal in 2023.

Steven Aaron Sr.

In 2021, Ford paid $8.2 million to a mechanic in Louisiana who was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The mechanic, Steven Aaron Sr., performed repairs in the 1960s and 1970s. The jury found Ford was negligent in informing auto mechanics of the risks associated with asbestos exposure.

Keith K. Grewe

A 1996 ruling in Baltimore ordered Ford to pay out significant sums in compensation to the widow of a former Ford employee who lost their life to mesothelioma. $8 million was paid to the widow of Keith K. Grewe Sr., who had worked as a mechanic on Ford brakes between 1957 and 1992.

Nollie P. Wood

The widow of Nollie P. Wood Sr. received a $6.3 million compensation payout. Wood, also a mechanic, had been exposed to asbestos from 1948 to 1952 and eventually developed mesothelioma. He passed away almost four decades later in 1990.

Linda Behling

In November 2022, a jury in St. Louis, Missouri, ruled that Ford and other companies must compensate Linda Behling’s family with $6 million.

Behling, who passed away at 70 due to mesothelioma, worked in manufacturing plants in Springfield, MO. The jury agreed Ford failed to warn sufficiently about the asbestos dust created when repairing brakes.

Ford Products Containing Asbestos

Ford sold a wide variety of automotive products that contained asbestos, putting anyone who worked with them at risk.

Ford products that contained asbestos include:

  • Brake pads
  • Brake linings
  • Clutch linings
  • Engines
  • Gaskets
  • Transmissions

These products were sold under various brands, including Ford, Ford Authorized Remanufactured, Mercury, and Motorcraft.

Ford began phasing out asbestos breaks in 1983. However, they continued to use asbestos brakes in their Mustang line through the 1990s and offered asbestos-containing replacement parts until 2001.

Due to the long latency period for asbestos-related diseases, workers who were employed by Ford before 2001 and helped to manufacture these products are still at risk of developing illnesses like mesothelioma today.

Check Your Compensation Eligibility Now

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Were you or your family member diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness?

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Based on your answers, it seems like you may have a potential claim. How can we get in touch to confirm your eligibility?

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OSHA Ruling Against Ford 

Ford’s troubled history with asbestos continued well into the new millennium. In 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ruled against Ford’s asbestos practices at its plant in Buffalo, NY.

Ford’s continued violations of OSHA’s asbestos and respiratory protection standards cost them $41,800 in fines. In total, OSHA recorded eight serious safety violations relating to asbestos at the Buffalo, NY, plant.

Occupations at Risk From Ford Motor Products

Factory workers and auto mechanics were the primary professions at risk from Ford’s use of asbestos in its products. These individuals came into contact with asbestos daily, as multiple Ford components were manufactured to contain asbestos.

Other Ford workers may have come into contact with asbestos as well, including:

  • Foundry workers
  • Grinders
  • Maintenance employees
  • On-site staff 
  • Pipefitters 

In addition to those who encountered Ford’s asbestos products through their jobs, many amateurs and hobbyists were also exposed. Individuals working on their private vehicles using Ford components may also have encountered asbestos when changing brake lines or clutches.

Risk Levels for Auto Mechanics 

When brakes grind together, dust and other particles contaminated with asbestos fibers can collect in the car’s wheel well. If this dust is breathed in, it can become embedded in a person’s lungs, putting the individual at risk of developing mesothelioma or other asbestos diseases.

Dangers of Secondhand Exposure

Secondary asbestos exposure often affects the families of asbestos workers, most commonly the parents, spouses, or children.

Secondhand exposure usually occurs in the home rather than the workplace but is no less dangerous. Asbestos fibers could collect on workers’ hair, skin, and uniforms while they’re on the job.

Not realizing the danger, workers brought these fibers home, where they were handled and potentially inhaled during everyday activities like laundry.

Proving second-hand exposure can be challenging as many companies like Ford will argue that the degree of exposure was not severe enough to cause harm, even in the face of decades of evidence. 

Remember, asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma, and there is no safe amount of exposure.

Check Your Compensation Eligibility Now

Step 1 of 3

Were you or your family member diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness?

Step 3 of 3

Based on your answers, it seems like you may have a potential claim. How can we get in touch to confirm your eligibility?

Your information will be kept private

Get Help Today 

Companies like Ford will spend millions of dollars on bad-faith efforts to disclaim responsibility for their negligent use of asbestos, warping established scientific facts to avoid compensating victims and their families. 

These companies have left their victims with no choice but to file lawsuits to acquire the funds needed for pressing medical and living expenses. Filing a mesothelioma lawsuit allows victims and their family members to focus on recovery while seeking justice and compensation. 

The esteemed asbestos lawyers at Meirowitz & Wasserberg offer all prospective clients access to complimentary resources and a free case review.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by exposure to Ford asbestos products, we can determine if you may be eligible for compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death claim.

Reach out now.

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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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