Ingersoll Rand Company
Ingersoll Rand is a leading manufacturer of machinery and industrial equipment. Historically, many of its products contained asbestos, which endangered workers and their families.
Those injured by exposure to Ingersoll Rand asbestos products may be able to seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or other forms of legal action.
File For Free in MinutesIngersoll Rand used asbestos components manufactured by other companies to produce their popular steam pumps and air compressors. When it acquired the HVAC company Trane in 2008, Ingersoll Rand also took on its new subsidiary’s asbestos liability.
Ingersoll Rand and Trane exposed employees, their families, and end users like HVAC workers, boilermakers, shipbuilders, railroad workers, and more to dangerous asbestos products.
Exposure to asbestos through Ingersoll Rand or Trane products and business activities can lead to the development of serious illnesses decades later. Those exposed are at elevated risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other dangerous diseases.
Complete the form below to discover if you may be eligible to seek financial compensation from Ingersoll Rand or Trane.
Key Information About Ingersoll Rand:
- Although it has never gone bankrupt and does not have an asbestos trust fund, Ingersoll Rand set aside $449 million in 2008 to handle current and future asbestos cases.
- Some of Ingersoll Rand’s pumps and compressors used asbestos components manufactured by other companies. Ingersoll Rand machinery that did not include asbestos often required consumers to use asbestos gaskets during installation.
- The top occupations impacted were HVAC workers, boiler mechanics and servicers, railroad workers, shipbuilders, and U.S. Navy veterans.
- If you or a loved one suffered illness due to primary or secondary exposure to asbestos from Ingersoll Rand or Trane, you may be entitled to compensation.
- Contact us today to explore your legal options.
Ingersoll Rand Company & Asbestos Usage
In 1905, the Ingersoll Rand Company was formed by merging the Ingersoll Rock Drill Company and the Rand Drill Company. It initially specialized in construction equipment but entered the pump and compressor market through acquisitions in the early 1900s.
Until the 1980s, many of Ingersoll Rand’s popular pumps and compressors were built using asbestos parts manufactured by others, or they required end users to install the machinery using asbestos gaskets.
Despite knowing about the dangers of asbestos, Ingersoll Rand continued selling its products to customers including the U.S. Navy and major railroad companies.
In 2008, Ingersoll Rand acquired Trane — a major HVAC supplier that used asbestos in its products for much of the 20th century — increasing its asbestos liabilities.
In 2020, Ingersoll Rand merged with Gardner Denver, another machinery manufacturer. It is still active as a major supplier of industrial machinery.
Asbestos Exposure Dangers From the Ingersoll Rand Company
Both Ingersoll Rand and Trane used asbestos as an insulator. Because asbestos is very durable and resistant to heat, chemicals, and fire, many manufacturers use it to make industrial components for use in high-heat or high-friction environments.
Unfortunately, all six varieties of asbestos are highly hazardous. When mined, manipulated, or damaged, asbestos particles become airborne. When breathed in or swallowed, these toxic particles can irritate body tissues, causing scarring and DNA changes. Over time, asbestos exposure can lead to the development of severe diseases, even decades after it occurs.
Asbestos-related diseases:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Asbestosis
- Other cancer
- Pleural effusions
- Pleural plaques
- Pleural thickening
Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that develops in the thin lining surrounding organs, is particularly deadly. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma.
There is no safe amount of asbestos exposure. Anyone exposed to asbestos through the products or activities of Ingersoll Rand or its subsidiary Trane may be eligible for compensation for their injuries.
Financial Compensation for Asbestos-Related Diseases
Ingersoll Rand has never filed for bankruptcy or established an asbestos trust fund, but victims of asbestos exposure may still have the right to seek compensation through a lawsuit.
There are two primary types of lawsuits that victims can use to pursue compensation:
- 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
In 2008, the company created a $449 million fund to handle compensation for asbestos claims. Before establishing this fund, Ingersoll Rand resolved over 208,000 claims worth more than $308 million.
Ingersoll Rand’s internal predictions state that its expected asbestos liabilities through 2053 will likely exceed $755 million. The company reports that it is prepared to handle these liabilities with the assistance of its insurance provider.
Asbestos-exposure victims may also be eligible for additional financial support like workers’ compensation or benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Working with an experienced mesothelioma attorney can help you understand all of your options and give your claim the best possible chance of success.
Asbestos Lawsuits Against the Ingersoll Rand Company
Since the 1980s, Ingersoll Rand has faced over 200,000 asbestos lawsuits. Historically, the company has done its best to dismiss these cases or settle them out of court for undisclosed sums. However, some determined victims have won significant victories in the courtroom.
- Myra Williams
After her death from mesothelioma caused by secondary asbestos exposure, the family of Myra Williams filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ingersoll Rand and other manufacturers of asbestos products. The court awarded $7 million in damages to be shared equally by Myra’s four children.
- Woodrow McBride
The courts awarded the estate of Woodrow McBride — a power plant worker who died of mesothelioma — $1 million in compensation from Ingersoll Rand and other manufacturers.
- Nicolas Kardos
A railroad worker who developed mesothelioma, Nicolas Kardos died during trial before completing his testimony against Ingersoll Rand and other asbestos companies. These companies initially succeeded in excluding his incomplete testimony from consideration and successfully sought summary judgment in his case.
His widow appealed the decision to a higher court and was granted an opportunity for a retrial that is still ongoing.
- U.S. Navy Veterans
Ingersoll Rand frequently used the “bare metal” defense to avoid asbestos liability. This line of argument assumed that Ingersoll Rand was not responsible for consumers’ use of asbestos gaskets when installing products designed to require them.
Two Navy veterans fought against this argument, appealing their case until it reached the Supreme Court, which ruled against Ingersoll Rand and four other companies using this defense.
Asbestos-Containing Products
Ingersoll Rand manufactured products using or requiring the use of asbestos components manufactured by others. Trane also used asbestos directly when manufacturing its popular HVAC components.
Ingersoll Rand asbestos products include:
- Boilers
- Compressors
- Gaskets
- HVAC components
- Packing materials
- Pumps
- Railroad brakes
- Seals
At-Risk Occupations
In addition to endangering those employed in their factories, Ingersoll Rand and Trane also exposed consumers and end users who worked with and around their asbestos-contaminated products.
HVAC Workers
Those who installed, serviced, and maintained HVAC systems using Trane’s popular asbestos-containing products are at high risk of asbestos-related illness.
Although Trane no longer uses asbestos in its products, many of its contaminated systems and components are still in place in older structures, endangering any technicians who work with or around them.
Industrial Maintenance
Ingersoll Rand’s asbestos-containing pumps and compressors required regular servicing, inspection, and maintenance. Those responsible for these tasks may have been exposed to high levels of asbestos.
U.S. Navy Veterans
The U.S. Navy used Ingersoll Rand asbestos-containing products extensively until the 1980s, endangering those who built, serviced, and worked aboard naval vessels. Those who worked with machinery, in naval shipyards, or in the engine room were particularly at risk.
Other at-risk occupations:
- Boiler technicians
- Engineers
- Factory workers
- Pipefitters
- Power plant workers
- Railroad workers
- Shipbuilders
See If You May Be Eligible for Compensation
Asbestos is highly toxic, and exposure can lead to serious illnesses like mesothelioma. Companies like Ingersoll Rand, which ignored the dangers of asbestos to protect profits, knowingly endangered thousands of employees and consumers.
Asbestos manufacturers rely on dedicated legal teams to shield them from responsibility for the harm they’ve caused, but victims can fight back by filing asbestos lawsuits.
Working with an experienced asbestos attorney can help victims and their families secure critical compensation to cover medical bills, replace lost income, and create financial security for dependents. The right lawyer can help with every step of the legal process, reducing client stress while maximizing potential compensation.
If you or someone you love has been injured by Ingersoll Rand asbestos exposure, you don’t have to fight alone. The asbestos litigation experts at Meirowitz & Wasserberg can help eligible victims pursue justice and compensation.
Contact us today for a free case assessment to discover if you may be entitled to compensation from Ingersoll Rand and companies like them.
Sources
- Asbestos exposure and cancer risk fact sheet. Fact Sheet – NCI. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet
- Friedman, D. J. (n.d.). Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair. Companies that Produced Asbestos & Years of Asbestos Product Production – How to file an asbestos injury claim with an Asbestos Trust. https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Producing_Companies.php#I
- The history of Ingersoll Rand Company. irco. (n.d.). https://www.irco.com/en-us/company/history
- Lloyds Asbestos Litigation Reporter Top 10 Lists Companies with the Most Number of Claims. Lloyds Asbestos Litigation Reporter. (n.d.). http://www.litigationdatadepot.com/Lloyds_Asbestos_Litigation_Reporter_-_Mos.pdf
- Pa Superior Court permits incomplete deposition testimony and affidavit of “unavailable witness” to oppose summary judgment in asbestos claim. Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. (2023, April 10). https://www.steptoe-johnson.com/news/pa-superior-court-permits-incomplete-deposition-testimony-and-affidavit-of-unavailable-witness-to-oppose-summary-judgment-in-asbestos-claim/
- “take home” asbestos death nets $7M verdict. Courthouse News Service. (n.d.). https://www.courthousenews.com/take-home-asbestos-death-nets-7m-verdict/
- U.S. Supreme Court narrows “Bare metal defense” for Maritime Asbestos Cases. JD Supra. (n.d.). https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/u-s-supreme-court-narrows-bare-metal-51279/
- Wolf, A. (2020, June 18). Trane Technologies units go bankrupt to handle asbestos claims. Bloomberg Law. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bankruptcy-law/trane-technologies-units-go-bankrupt-to-handle-asbestos-claims