Leslie Controls designed and manufactured asbestos-contaminated steam control valves, pumps, gaskets, and pipe parts used in high-heat areas, including Naval vessels and gas and oil refineries.
The company continued using asbestos until the 1980s, exposing employees, their families, and end-users in professions like plumbers, machinists, shipyard workers, insulators, and more.
People exposed to Leslie Controls asbestos are now at high risk of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma or lung cancer. Complete the form below to check your eligibility for compensation from the Leslie Controls, Inc. Asbestos Personal Injury Trust.
Asbestos Products and Industries
Leslie Controls opened in 1905 as the Leslie Company and produced quality valves, pumps and gaskets for steam engines. By World War II, the company was one of the leading suppliers of gaskets for Naval vessels.
The company phased out asbestos use in its products by the 1980s, but many Leslie Controls products remain in place today.
Other Leslie Controls products that may have contained asbestos included:
- Pipe Insulation
- Steam water heaters
- Regulators
- Packing materials
Although the company denies any injuries associated with its use of asbestos, the trust continues to pay settlements. The trust has not established any approved job sites or occupations that may be connected with Leslie Controls asbestos.
However, the following occupations are associated with Leslie Controls products:
- Plumber
- Machinist
- Power plant worker
- Shipyard worker
- Insulator
- Boilermaker
- Refinery worker
Since Leslie Controls products were widely used in Naval vessels, sailors are also at risk for asbestos-related diseases.
A 2018 study in the International Journal of Radiation Biology found higher rates of mesothelioma among Navy veterans who worked in boiler, engine and pump rooms due to poor ventilation and close quarters.
The study said occupations that included machinist’s mate, pipefitter, boiler technician, water tender and fireman had a higher potential for asbestos exposure. While only 20 percent of Navy enlistees worked in the occupations, they accounted for 55% of mesothelioma deaths within the study population, journal researchers found.
Leslie Controls Financial Compensation
The Leslie Controls trust requires claimants to submit claims within three years of a diagnosis of an asbestos disease.
Akin to other asbestos-related bankruptcy trusts, Leslie Controls has established strict parameters for claimants to follow when seeking financial compensation. Claimants can file for either an expedited review or individual review, depending on personal circumstances.
Leslie Controls has further designated two types of claims:
Leslie Powerhouse or Below-Deck Naval Station Claims
Leslie Control Powerhouse or Below-Deck Naval Station Claims are only valid if the asbestos exposure happened during the installation, removal or maintenance of Leslie Controls valves (or near someone installing, removing or maintaining Leslie Controls valves).
The claimant must have been employed in a Leslie Controls powerhouse, U.S. Navy shipyard or below-deck naval station.
Claimants who seek a larger settlement than what the expedited review offers or whose expedited review was denied can opt for an individual analysis.
Leslie Construction and Maintenance Claims
Leslie Construction and Maintenance Claims are valid when the asbestos exposure happened as a result of the installation, maintenance or removal of Leslie Controls valves and/or other Leslie Controls equipment.
Leslie Controls expedited and individual claims provide distinct settlement arrangements and amounts:
Leslie Controls Trust Expedited Review Facts:
- Designed as an “expeditious, efficient and inexpensive method” for settling asbestos claims
- Can only be used when the claim is easily verifiable
- Intended to provide a fixed and certain settlement
- Handled in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) process
Leslie Controls Trust Expedited Review Claims Amounts:
| Disease | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Mesothelioma (Level VII) | •Powerhouse and Below-Deck Naval Station Claims Scheduled value: $100,000 •Construction and Maintenance Claims Scheduled value: $25,000 |
| Lung Cancer I (Level VI) | •Powerhouse and Below-Deck Naval Station Claims Scheduled value: $25,000•Construction and Maintenance Claims Scheduled value: $7,500 |
| Lung Cancer 2 (Level V) | •Powerhouse and Below-Deck Naval Station Claims Scheduled value: None (see individual review) •Construction and Maintenance Claims Scheduled value: None (see individual review |
| Other Cancer (Level IV) | •Powerhouse and Below-Deck Naval Station Claims Scheduled value: $15,000 •Construction and Maintenance Claims Scheduled value: $5,000 |
| Severe Asbestosis (Level III) | •Powerhouse and Below-Deck Naval Station Claims Scheduled value: $17,500 •Construction and Maintenance Claims Scheduled value: $6,000 |
| Asbestosis/Pleural Disease (Level II) | •Powerhouse and Below-Deck Naval Station Claims Scheduled value: $4,500 •Construction and Maintenance Claims Scheduled value: $1,250 |
| Asbestosis/Pleural Disease (Level I) | •Powerhouse and Below-Deck Naval Station Claims Scheduled value: $1,500 •Construction and Maintenance Claims Scheduled value: $500 |
Leslie Controls Trust Individual Review Facts:
- Anyone with a claim level III, IV, VI or VII (severe asbestosis, other cancer, lung cancer 1 and mesothelioma) may elect for an individual review
- All claims originating from out of the United States (called foreign claims) are handled as an individual review
- Individuals suffering severe financial hardship as a result of Leslie Controls asbestos exposure may file an individual review
Leslie Controls Trust Individual Review Claim Amounts:
Powerhouse and Below-Deck Naval Station Individual Review Claims
| Disease | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Mesothelioma (Level VII) | Average value: $140,000 Maximum value: $350,000 |
| Lung Cancer I (Level VI) | Average value: $35,000 Maximum value: $125,000 |
| Lung Cancer 2 (Level V) | Average value: $18,0000 Maximum value: $22,000 |
| Other Cancer (Level IV) | Average value: $17,500 Maximum value: $25,500 |
| Severe Asbestosis (Level III) | Average value: $20,000 Maximum value: $30,000 |
| Asbestosis/Pleural Disease (Level II) | Average value: $4,500 Maximum value: $4,500 |
| Asbestosis/Pleural Disease (Level I) | Average value: $1,500 Maximum value: $1,500 |
Leslie Construction and Maintenance Individual Review Claims
| Disease | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Mesothelioma (Level VII) | Average value: $30,000 Maximum value: $125,000 |
| Lung Cancer I (Level VI) | Average value: $10,000 Maximum value: $37,500 |
| Lung Cancer 2 (Level V) | Average value: $5,000 Maximum value: $10,000 |
| Other Cancer (Level IV) | Average value: $7,500 Maximum value: $15,000 |
| Severe Asbestosis (Level III) | Average value: $8,000 Maximum value: $17,500 |
| Asbestosis/Pleural Disease (Level II) | Average value: $1,250 Maximum value: $1,250 |
| Asbestosis/Pleural Disease (Level I) | Average value: $500 Maximum value: $50 |
Leslie Controls Asbestos Lawsuits
In 2009, CIRCOR said Leslie Controls was named in 5,804 unresolved asbestos claims in Mississippi, California, Texas, New York, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Illinois and 23 other states. Of those, 597 claims involved mesothelioma victims.
Before the Leslie Controls bankruptcy trust was finalized, the company was taken to court dozens of times. In one case – Merrill v. Leslie Controls, Inc. – the company was found liable for a Navy veteran’s asbestos exposure. The veteran was awarded $1.218 million, but the award was overturned on appeal.
Help Filing A Leslie Controls Asbestos Trust Claim
Injured victims who think they were exposed to Leslie Controls asbestos must file a claim within three years of a diagnosis. Claimants who use the services of an experienced asbestos-litigation attorney can gain access to funds vital for ongoing medical treatments, household expenses and other expenditures.
Attorneys with experience in asbestos trust claims help by uncovering possible exposure sites, at-fault products and witnesses to exposure. Contact us today for a free consultation with an attorney.
Written & Legally Reviewed By
Daniel Wasserberg
Attorney and On-Site Legal AdvocateDaniel 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.
Learn MoreSources
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “CIRCOR’s Leslie Controls Subsidiary Files Pre-Negotiated Plan.” Retrieved from https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1091883/000119312510156864/dex991.htm
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court Confirms CIRCOR’s Leslie Controls Subsidiary’s Chapter 11 Reorganization Plan Retrieved from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101028006917/en/U.S.-Bankruptcy-Court-Confirms-CIRCOR’s-Leslie-Controls/