Brown-Forman Whiskey Distillery’s Workers and Asbestos
Kentucky is world-famous for bourbon, and one of its biggest distillers is the Brown-Forman Corporation. Its Versailles distillery location dates back to 1870, and cancer-causing asbestos may have been an important component in its facility for about 100 years. If you worked there and are diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation.
Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers represent people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases who seek compensation for the harm they suffer. If this is your situation, contact us at 855-385-9532 to learn more about how we can help you obtain compensation for your injury.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a group of mineral fibers that are resistant to fire, heat, electricity, and corrosion. Asbestos has been used in about 3,000 products, including pipe insulation, building materials, floor tiles, cigarette filters, vehicle brakes, and clutches. These fibers are strong, durable, light, and microscopic.
Why is Asbestos Dangerous?
Asbestos was used in thousands of products for centuries because its fibers are tiny, light, strong, and durable. These qualities also make them incredibly hazardous to the human body. They won’t immediately cause a deadly reaction in people who inhale or swallow them, so they’re probably unaware of the danger they’re in. It may take years or decades for the damage caused by asbestos to become known.
Fibers become stuck in human tissue. The immune system tries to get rid of them, but the fibers destroy the cells meant to dissolve them instead. This leads to scar tissue, inflammation, and, over time, genetic mutations that cause cancer.
Asbestos causes or increases the risk of several cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly cancer that can affect several parts of the body. It can involve the linings covering organs (including the heart and lungs) and the chest and abdominal cavities.
What is the Brown-Forman Corporation?
The Brown-Forman Corporationis estimated to be theworld’sfourth-largest bourbon distiller and North America’s largest whiskey, wine, and distilled spirit maker, according to Whiskey University. It’s also headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The company makes more than 57 brands, labels, and variations of bourbon and whiskey.
It started operations in Kentucky in 1870. Their nearest distilleries are in Versailles, Kentucky, and Lynchburg, Tennessee, where Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniel’s whiskies are distilled.
Why Was Asbestos Used in Distilleries?
Large-scale distilleries relied heavily on asbestos-containing materials because of the unique demands of alcohol production. Brown-Forman facilities may have contained these products from the company’s inception through the 1980s.
The distillation process generates extreme heat. Stills and boilers operate at more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Asbestos’ heat-resistant and insulating properties made it an attractive material for distillery companies who wanted to protect equipment and employees from heat, prevent fires, and improve energy efficiency.
Asbestos-containing products could be used for the following:
- Insulation around steam lines and condensers
- Boiler insulation protecting high-temperature equipment
- Gaskets and seals in stills and fermentation tanks
Asbestos could also be used in floor tiles and roofing materials, and fireproofing materials applied to structural steel and walls.
Which Brown-Forman Distillery Workers Would Be Exposed to Asbestos Fibers?
The greatest danger from asbestos comes when materials are applied, torn, cut, drilled into, or removed, because that’s when fibers are most likely to be released and carried into the air, where they can be inhaled or swallowed. Fibers can also come loose if the equipment the products are attached to vibrates, or due to age and deterioration.
The more often and more closely someone worked with asbestos-containing products, the greater the threat they posed. This includes employees and contractors who worked in the distillery. Even those present in the plant, but who do not handle or touch asbestos products, may inhale fibers. This is especially true when equipment was maintained or repaired because asbestos insulation would be removed and replaced.
Family members of those working for Brown-Forman were also at risk. Those working with asbestos in the area would return home in clothes covered in microscopic fibers that could drift through the household until someone inhaled or swallowed them.
Why Should I Contact Satterley & Kelley, PLLC?
If you or a family member is diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer, you may be entitled to compensation for what you’ve endured. Depending on the circumstances, compensation may be received for the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income and illness-related costs and expenses
- Past and future medical treatment
- The negative effects on relationships
If you have an asbestos-related condition due to asbestos exposure at a Brown-Forman Corporation facility, improve your chances of a successful claim by retaining a lawyer with the following:
- Knowledge of Kentucky and federal asbestos laws, deadlines, court procedures, and jury dynamics
- Access to historical industrial and asbestos litigation records
- Experience in distillery-related mesothelioma litigation
- Resources to secure experts who can show asbestos caused your illness, where it came from, and the harm you suffer due to your illness
- The ability to tailor strategies for your unique situation
Given the complexity and stakes of your case, you should discuss how we can help with a Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyer.
Call Us Today for A Free Consultation
If you or a family member in Kentucky suffers from an asbestos-related condition, Satterley & Kelley PLLC is the law firm you can trust. Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or complete our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.