Asbestos Exposure at International Harvester, Louisville, KY
The International Harvester facility in Louisville, Kentucky, was open from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. The facility featured a foundry and a forge, which manufactured a variety of parts and machinery, some of which contained asbestos. Additionally, people who worked on IH farm machines and heavy equipment were also likely to be exposed, especially if they were replacing or repairing brakes.
To get help now, contact us today at Satterley and Kelley, PLLC. To learn more about the connection between asbestos and International Harvester, keep reading.
International Harvester Tractor by Trekphiler
What Is International Harvester?
International Harvester was a farm and construction equipment manufacturer. Incorporated in 1902, the company was created through a merger of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company with four smaller machinery makers.
Throughout its history, the company manufactured high-wheeled “auto-wagons”, crawler tractors, earth-moving equipment, and lawn tractors, but the most significant part of its business was medium and heavy-duty trucks. It also manufactured turbine-driven compressors, generators, and pumps.
In 1979-80, the company started having economic trouble after a nearly six-month labor strike allowed competitors to claim a large part of its market share. In the early 1980s, it sold most of its construction and farm equipment lines. In 1986, the company changed its name to Navistar International Corporation. Now, the company owns several brands including International Trucks, IC Bus, Navistar Financial, International Used Truck Centers, Fleetrite, and OnCommand Connection.
International Harvester in Louisville
International Harvester opened its foundry facility in Louisville, Kentucky in 1949, and it closed the plant in 1984. At its peak in 1975, the factory employed 6,500 people in Louisville, but by the time it closed down, it only had 710 employees.
The company also ran an adjacent forge. When International Harvester closed the foundry in 1984, it announced that it would keep the forge open, but in 1985, the forge was renamed the Louisville Forge and Gear Works. Due to International Harvester’s corporate restructuring, that building was torn down in 1997.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a light, strong, durable mineral fiber that was used in thousands of products over centuries because it’s resistant to the following:
- Heat
- Fire
- Chemicals
- Electricity
If fibers are airborne, people can inhale or swallow them. Asbestos fibers may never leave the body or be destroyed by its immune response.
Why is Asbestos Dangerous?
Asbestos is a mineral fiber that is dangerous when released into the air, inhaled, and ingested by those in the area. Fibers can become stuck in the lungs and abdominal organs. Fibers also become stuck in the linings of the lungs, the heart, the chest cavity, and the abdominal cavity.
Asbestos causes many severe and deadly health conditions, including lung cancer, asbestosis, and different types of mesothelioma:
- Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition that scars lung tissue, leading to breathing problems and decreased lung function
- Lung cancer occurs when asbestos fibers cause genetic mutations in lung cells
- Mesothelioma, a particularly aggressive cancer, affects the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen
Symptoms of asbestos-related conditions may not show up until decades after the initial exposure and the disease has advanced, significantly reducing treatment options, making effective treatment more complex, and survival less likely.
Asbestos and International Harvester
International Harvester marketed parts containing asbestos, such as brakes and clutches, during the late 1960s. The company also used asbestos-containing brakes in its tractors until 1983 or 1984.
Even though the company did not manufacture the brakes in all of its equipment, it bears liability for asbestos exposure related to replacing or repairing the brakes because manufacturers are responsible for defects in components incorporated into their finished products.
Asbestos Exposure Related to International Harvester
Employees of the International Harvester Company in Louisville, Kentucky, were exposed to asbestos when they manufactured parts with asbestos and/or installed asbestos-containing parts from other manufacturers.
Setters were exposed to asbestos when they set up and repaired lathes, drills, and other machinery. Operators were exposed when they worked on the manufacturing lines. Administrative and managerial staff may have been exposed when they went through production areas.
In many International Harvester facilities, people may have also been exposed while constructing or repairing the facility. Asbestos-containing building materials were very popular during the company’s heyday. For example, when International Harvester built a new facility in Wisconsin in 1950, the company’s press release said the roofing bid was going to the Asbestos Wood Manufacturing Company.
Additionally, people who worked with International Harvester products were also likely to be exposed to asbestos. In particular, mechanics who replaced brakes on International Harvester tractors or other machinery were exposed. Replacing brakes requires scoring, sanding, drilling, and grinding the linings which releases asbestos dust.
What to Do If You Develop an Asbestos-Related Disease
If you or a loved one has developed mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or any other asbestos-related disease, focus on your medical care, but also consult with an attorney as soon as possible. In Kentucky, you have one year from the date of discovery (typically, the same as the date of diagnosis) to bring forward a lawsuit.
Even if you’re not sure where you or your loved one was exposed, an experienced mesothelioma attorney can help you assess the situation. When you work with an attorney experienced with these types of cases, they often have insights and knowledge that you may not be aware of. They can help you pursue legal justice and compensation, while you focus on your quality of life.
Your Rights After a Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma are often caused by a corporation’s negligence, breach of implied warranty, or failure to warn. Often, companies engage in willful and wanton conduct supporting punitive damages. To put it simply, this means that companies like International Harvester knew about the risks of asbestos, and they continued to expose their employees and customers to the products.
Unfortunately, if you are a former employee of International Harvester in Louisville, you cannot bring a lawsuit against that company. Kentucky’s worker compensation schemes prevent you from doing so. In Kentucky, you must make a workers’ compensation claim for injuries within a year of leaving the company, and the long latency period of mesothelioma makes this impossible for most people. However, you may be able to hold the manufacturers of the parts or the asbestos liable.
People such as brake mechanics who were exposed to asbestos through International Harvester products may be able to bring a suit against the company. Similarly, the relatives of employees who developed mesothelioma due to secondary exposure may hold International Harvester liable. Kentucky law upholds the duty of employers to keep their employees’ families safe from known dangers.
Why You Should Hire Satterley & Kelley, PLLC for Your Asbestos Case
If you’re diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer, you may be entitled to compensation for what you’ve endured. This includes physical and mental pain and suffering, financial costs, medical bills, and how the disease impacts your relationships.
You need a law firm with experience representing victims taking legal action against the asbestos industry. Satterley & Kelley, PLLC attorneys have helped asbestos victims for more than 25 years.
We have relationships with the best experts in the world to help us prove that asbestos caused your injury and the physical, emotional, psychological, and financial harm you suffered.
Schedule a Free Consultation Today
At Satterley and Kelley, PLLC, we always start with a free consultation. During that meeting, we listen to your story and we help you determine if legal action is the right course of action. Then, we file a suit against all possible liable parties.
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may receive financial compensation for the harm you suffer.
Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with a Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer.