Ford Motor Company Plants and Factories

Based in Dearborn, Michigan, the Ford Motor Company is the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world (based on world-wide sales). The Ford Motor Company is also one of the largest family-controlled companies in the world. The company was originally founded in 1903 by Henry Ford. During the early years of the company, only a few cars were produced each day in its sole Detroit factory.

When the Model T Ford was introduced in 1908, the affordability of the new model put demand far in excess of supply. By 1913, however, the Ford Motor Company had developed and established basic assembly line techniques that significantly sped up production (this was the world's first moving assembly line). The use of these techniques allowed the company to increase production while reducing prices.

After World War I, the company began to lose market share to others such as GM and Chrysler, as the latter had been introducing more innovative modifications such as four-wheel brakes. During the early 1920s the Ford Motor Company began to make up for its losses by expanding into the luxury car market. During World War II, Ford produced both land and aircraft for the military, including the B-24 Liberator that was produced in greater numbers than any other WWII American combat aircraft. Under control of Henry Ford II, the company became a publicly traded corporation in 1956 (however the family retains a 40 percent controlling interest), and the company began to expand further in Europe and other locations outside America.

Asbestos Use at Ford Plants and Factories

Ford admits that asbestos was used in many of their automotive products, including clutches, brakes and firewalls. Asbestos may have also been used in Ford factories and plants, as the substance was often used in the construction of industrial facilities and machinery between the 1940s and 1980s. The Ford Motor Company has been the target of a large number of product liability lawsuits over the past decade and many of these have involved asbestos.

Most of the asbestos-related litigation involving the Ford Motor Company has been filed by automotive service workers and other people who have worked on Ford automobile brakes. The reason for this is that repeated exposure to asbestos can cause asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma. Other personal injury lawsuits have been filed by people who have been exposed to asbestos in Ford's manufacturing plants, factories, or aboard company ships.

Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer that can develop after relatively low levels of asbestos exposure. The majority of cases occur in the lining of the lungs, but the lining of the heart and abodmen can contract the disease as well. Regardless of where the cancer develops, it is difficult to treat and is almost invariably fatal. One important thing to know about mesothelioma is that it has a long latency period, ranging anywere between 20 and 50 years.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease, consider seeking the advice of a mesothelioma lawyer. Treating asbestos-related diseases is an expensive endeavor, and speaking with an experienced mesothelioma lawyer about the legal options available could result in financial assistance to help pay for medical expenses. For more information on qualified mesothelioma lawyers, please fill out the form at the top, right corner of this page or call 800-615-2270.