York International and Mesothelioma in Madisonville, KY

Key Takeaways

• • York International’s Madisonville, Kentucky plant contained asbestos insulation in pipes, boilers, and building materials.
  • Employees, contractors, and even family members faced asbestos exposure during maintenance and daily operations.
  • Mesothelioma and other cancers can develop decades after exposure, even from limited contact.
  • Industry documents reveal companies knew asbestos was dangerous but failed to warn workers.

Asbestos exposure at the York International facility in Madisonville, Kentucky, led to many cases of mesothelioma, a fatal cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The plant’s construction and operation exposed thousands of employees, contractors, and visitors to potentially deadly asbestos fibers. Satterley & Kelley, PLLC helps asbestos victims pursue compensation for the harm they suffer.

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers have more than 25 years of experience with Kentucky asbestos and mesothelioma cases. Our work has resulted in millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. We are a leading Kentucky law firm for helping victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses get the fair compensation they deserve. Learn more by calling us at (855) 385-9532.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a natural mineral fiber. It’s mined, used to create products, and sold worldwide. Because it’s so toxic, 55 countries have banned its use, but the US is not one of them (though we highly restrict its use).

Asbestos fibers are resistant to fire, heat, corrosion, chemicals, and electricity. They’re microscopic and incredibly strong, durable, and light. For centuries, asbestos was used in thousands of products. For many years, Americans could be surrounded by asbestos products where they lived, attended school, in hospitals, and at their workplaces.

Why is Asbestos Dangerous?

Asbestos is a health hazard, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Asbestos fibers are so small that they can’t be seen with the naked eye. They threaten the health of anyone in an area where fibers are suspended in the air, as they can easily be inhaled or ingested without the person’s knowledge.

Breathing in these fibers may cause scar-like tissue in the lungs. Over time, the tissue mutates and develops into a malignant tumor. The lung’s linings can form a cancer called mesothelioma, and lung tissue may become cancerous. Asbestos fibers can also cause different types of cancer in other parts of the body.

When Were Asbestos Hazards Known?

Litigation in the 1970s slowly uncovered evidence that companies in the asbestos industry knew that asbestos was toxic and injuring those making and using asbestos products. Some of the evidence includes the following:

• • Documents from 1934 by employees of two of the largest asbestos firms, Johns-Manville and Raybestos-Manhattan, stated how senior executives suppressed information about possible harm to workers. They include letters between Johns-Manville attorney Vandiver Brown and Raybestos president Sumner Simpson, as well as those between the trade publication Asbestos and Simpson. A 1935 letter from an Asbestos editor requested Simpson’s approval to publish an article on asbestosis. The editor stated that the publication complied with Brown’s request that no articles about asbestosis be published. Brown replied by stating, “(T)he less said about asbestos the better off we are…I quite agree with you that our interests are best served by having asbestosis receive a minimum of publicity”
  • A 1949 study by Dr. Kenneth Wallace Smith, Johns-Manville ex-medical director, stated that some of their workers had asbestosis, but they were not told about it. During litigation in 1976, Dr. Smith admitted he told company management about asbestos dangers in 1952. Around that time, he suggested putting health warnings on asbestos-containing products. Those warnings weren’t published until 1964
  • The Philip Carey Co. ignored warnings by Dr. Thomas Mancuso, their medical consultant. He told them about asbestos’ dangers and the company fired him after he predicted lawsuits would be filed by workers injured by it. Mancuso was hired in 1963 to investigate problems linked to asbestos. He wrote a report stating the relationships between asbestos and cancer were recognized, “…but the asbestos industry chose to ignore and deny their existence.”

Companies making asbestos products have been held liable for the injuries they’ve caused because the products are defective and dangerous, and they covered up damaging medical information for decades. This prevented customers from seeking alternative products, and workers weren’t fully aware of the dangers associated with their jobs.

What is York International?

York International is a company that manufactures and sells heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Their Madisonville plant was built in 1972 and sold in 2002.

Why Did the Plant Have Asbestos?

In the 1970s, awareness of asbestos’ risks was increasing. Still, many industrial plants, including this one, relied heavily on it for insulation on steam pipes, in gaskets and valves, in ceiling and floor tiles, and for insulating boiler room equipment. There were thousands of linear feet of asbestos-containing insulation throughout the plant.

Who Was Exposed to Asbestos at the York International Plant?

Workers, contractors, and anyone visiting the facility could be exposed to asbestos fibers when the facility was built, during equipment maintenance or repair, and as these products deteriorated over time and shed their fibers.

The chances of developing an asbestos-related disease increase based on the amount of exposure someone had, but even a relatively brief exposure could start the processes that lead to disease. Many employees and contractors returned home with asbestos on their clothes, exposing their family members to cancer-causing fibers.

Why You Should Hire Satterley & Kelley, PLLC for Your Asbestos Case

If you have mesothelioma or another asbestos-related condition, you may be entitled to compensation. This would be for your mental and physical pain and suffering, medical bills, financial costs, and how the disease negatively affects your relationships.

You need a law firm with experience helping victims take legal action against the asbestos industry. We rely on the best experts to prove that asbestos fibers caused your injury and the harm you suffered as a result.

Schedule a Free Consultation Today

If you or a loved one has mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation.

We will listen to your story and help you decide if legal action is the right course of action. If so, we can seek compensation from all possible liable parties.