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NAPA (National Automotive Parts Association) 

Fact checked and legally reviewed by Daniel Wasserberg, Esq. • Contributor & Legal Advisor

The National Automotive Parts Association was a major distributor of asbestos-contaminated auto parts for most of the 20th century. Their global distribution network exposed thousands of employees and consumers to asbestos risks.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness following exposure to NAPA products, you may qualify for compensation.

Apply For Compensation

NAPA & Asbestos Exposure

NAPA was originally a cooperative formed in 1925 by businesses and retailers in the Detroit auto parts industry. These member organizations sought to enhance sales and streamline the distribution of auto parts.

The group expanded rapidly, successfully entering global markets. It opened its first storefront in 1936 and launched its first NAPA-branded product in 1966. 

Unfortunately, much of its success was built on an unstable foundation. Many of the products NAPA distributed and sold contained asbestos, meaning they presented a serious risk to human health and safety. 

NAPA distributed these contaminated products for most of the 20th century. Asbestos was a common additive, valued by automotive manufacturers for its durability and ability to increase resistance to heat, fire, and chemicals. Unfortunately, asbestos is also highly toxic.

NAPA eventually stopped all distribution of asbestos products in the 1980s. In 2012, Genuine Parts, one of its member organizations, completed the acquisition of its former partners, becoming the parent company of NAPA.

NAPA still exists today, offering over 800,000 unique parts, distributed across 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores and 18,000 NAPA Auto Care centers nationwide.

Dangers of Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos refers to a group of six naturally occurring minerals that share similar structures and properties. All types separate into long, durable fibers that are non-conductive and highly resistant to heat, fire, and chemical corrosion.

These qualities, combined with low cost, made asbestos a popular industrial additive, especially in the automotive industry throughout much of the 20th century. Its utility was so great that companies like NAPA often ignored or concealed its dangers, putting workers and consumers at serious risk.

The true hazard of asbestos lies in how it behaves when disturbed. During mining, manufacturing, repairs, or removal, asbestos fibers can become airborne and easily inhaled or ingested.

Once inside the body, these fibers lodge in tissues, causing inflammation, scarring, and genetic damage that can develop into life-threatening illnesses, often decades after the initial exposure.

Asbestos-related diseases include:

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

Mesothelioma is a rare and often terminal type of cancer that develops in the thin linings surrounding various organs. It’s expensive to treat, frequently costing patients more than $400,000 per year out-of-pocket. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma. 

Financial Compensation From NAPA 

NAPA and its parent company, Genuine Parts Co., do not have an established asbestos trust fund. Victims seeking compensation can do so through the legal system by filing a lawsuit. 

There are two primary types of asbestos lawsuits:

• 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.

However, because asbestos use was so widespread and the relationship between asbestos companies was so intertwined, many victims can trace their exposure back to multiple manufacturers and distributors.

Working with an experienced asbestos attorney can help victims identify and hold all negligent parties involved in their exposure accountable, maximizing their potential compensation. Your lawyer may also be able to help you identify and apply for additional sources of compensation, such as:

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

Asbestos Lawsuits Against NAPA 

Like many asbestos companies, NAPA and Genuine Parts prefer to keep the details of their asbestos litigation as private as possible. Although the companies continue to face significant asbestos liability every year, most cases are settled out of court for undisclosed sums or dismissed, leaving details scarce.

However, the existing public litigation has led to record-breaking results for plaintiffs.

Jerry Coogan

Jerry Coogan was a heavy machine operator and an enthusiastic car hobbyist. He was exposed to asbestos at work and play, eventually developing peritoneal mesothelioma, which develops in the abdominal cavity, after decades of exposure to asbestos-containing brakes, clutches, and gaskets purchased at NAPA stores. 

During his 2017 trial, Coogan and his legal team sought to prove that NAPA continued selling asbestos-contaminated auto parts into the 2000s. The jury awarded $81.5 million in damages, including $30 million each to Coogan and his wife, $10 million to each of his two daughters, and $1.5 million for household services. 

It remains one of the largest asbestos verdicts in Washington state history. 

Asbestos-Containing Products Used at NAPA 

NAPA was not originally a manufacturer; it was a collective formed by manufacturers and other automotive industry interests, meant to increase sales and streamline distribution. 

NAPA’s asbestos liability is primarily tied to its distribution and sale of asbestos-contaminated products manufactured by member organizations, as well as a branded line of products the company launched in the 1960s. 

Asbestos-contaminated products distributed by NAPA include:

• Body components
• Brake linings
• Brake pads
• Brakes
• Clutch linings
• Gaskets
• Heat shields
• Hood liners
• Insulation
• Mufflers
• Seals
• Spark plugs
• Transmission parts
• Valves

Occupations At-Risk

NAPA was a major distributor of automotive parts, with a global reach. In addition to employees at its warehouses, stores, and distribution chain, it exposed workers all across the automotive industry to asbestos. 

Additionally, NAPA sold contaminated products to the public, where they were broadly used for at-home repairs by car hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers. 

High-risk occupations include:

• Auto mechanics
• Auto parts store employees
• Contractors
• Drivers and truckers
• Electricians
• Hobbyists/car enthusiasts/home mechanics
• Industrial workers
• Machine operators
• Warehouse workers

The serious health risks related to asbestos exposure are not limited to asbestos workers. Secondhand or “take-home” exposure, where asbestos particles enter the home on the hair, skin, or clothing of asbestos industry workers, poses significant health risks for family members and loved ones. 

Get Help Today 

A diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness can place an immense physical, emotional, and financial burden on both victims and their families. Many face mounting medical bills and daily living expenses that quickly become overwhelming.

Taking legal action against the companies responsible offers a way to seek accountability and pursue financial compensation for the harm caused. Despite knowing the dangers, many asbestos manufacturers, including those connected to NAPA, continued to use the material to protect profits over people.

Working with an experienced asbestos attorney, like those at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, can help you understand your options and fight for the maximum compensation available so you can focus on what matters most: your health and your loved ones.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by asbestos exposure linked to NAPA, contact us today for a free case evaluation.