Before the 1980s, factory and plant workers in all industries were at high risk for exposure to asbestos. One of the industries that was most affected was the automobile industry. Many of the friction bearing parts in automobile were made with asbestos to protect against overheating. Because those parts were cut and ground to fit, then drilled for attachment, asbestos was released into the air where auto plant workers could inhale it. Without the use of protective respirators and masks to keep asbestos fibers out of the body, the high concentration of asbestos fibers in the air increased the risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases among auto plant workers.

Auto plant workers who did brake assembly were at particular risk, though there was some risk of asbestos exposure in most areas of the auto plant. Brake linings are made with asbestos because of the level of heat resistance that asbestos adds to the material of which the linings are made. Workers who handled and installed the brake linings were exposed to asbestos dust from the product. In addition, many other auto parts may have contained asbestos. Handling those parts, including packing and unpacking, installing, sanding, buffing, polishing, grinding and drilling them for installation, may have released asbestos fibers into the air.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. Inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers can lodge in the lining of the lungs, heart or abdominal cavity and cause mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive and fast-moving cancer. Mesothelioma is incurable. The long latency period - as much as forty years between first exposure to asbestos fibers and diagnosis - made it difficult to draw the relationship between asbestos exposure and the disease, and easy for manufacturers of asbestos-containing products to hide that relationship. However, the manufacturers were aware of the dangers of asbestos, and made no efforts to reduce the risk of exposure and protect their workers from the gruesome, painful deaths that asbestos causes.

Besides mesothelioma, inhaled asbestos also causes asbestosis, or severe lung scarring. Asbestosis is a progressive condition, which means that it gets worse with time. There is no cure for asbestosis, though some promising new treatments seem to slow the progression of the disease. Levels of asbestosis are higher among industrial workers and brake workers than among the general population.

Mesothelioma and asbestosis are specific to exposure to asbestos, but asbestos also increases the risk of developing a number of other cancers, including lung cancer, colon cancer and cancer of the esophagus and stomach.

Asbestos Exposure

Many people assume that asbestos is banned for use in the United States, but that is only partially true. Asbestos has been banned for many uses, but it is still used in many products, including brake linings. In addition, while asbestos may not be used in manufacturing parts made in the United States, many of the parts used in automobiles are manufactured elsewhere, in countries that do not have the same standards for asbestos use as the U.S.

In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency issued regulations that were intended to phase out the use of asbestos in all industries. However, those were challenged in court, and in 1991, they were overturned by a court decision. In 1992, the EPA tried to get auto makers to agree to a voluntary ban on asbestos in brake linings and gaskets. Originally, General Motors agreed that it would honor the deadlines set by the EPA's regulations, which would have eliminated the use of asbestos in all gaskets and friction products in automobiles by 1997. However, the asbestos industry charged that an agreement between the EPA and auto companies would be illegal, and the voluntary agreements collapsed. By 1998, GM was still selling models of cars with asbestos-containing gaskets and linings in the United States even though European regulations required the cars sold to be asbestos free. In other words, suitable substitutes existed, but GM chose not to use them in some automobiles manufactured in the United States. (1)

Workers in auto plants may also have been exposed to asbestos contained in the equipment that they used, and even in the safety equipment that they wore. Industrial fans and manufacturing equipment and machinery often had gaskets and packing made with asbestos. Welders may have worn protective clothing made with asbestos. While the asbestos clothing is vital to protect workers from burns and heat, when it begins to wear out, it can shed asbestos fibers into the air.

If you or someone you know was exposed to asbestos in an auto plant and later developed an asbestos related condition like mesothelioma, it is important that your doctor be aware of your exposure history. It may be the key to an early diagnosis of an asbestos-related condition, which greatly increases the options available for treatment. In addition, if you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and expenses. Contact a lawyer with experience in asbestos litigation to learn more about your rights with regards to asbestos exposure and your illness.