Abex Corporation

Abex’s Connection to Asbestos

Abex Corporation is a friction products company that used asbestos in its brakes. Asbestos is naturally resistant to heat and was considered an ideal material for friction products. The mineral is also the main cause of mesothelioma cancer.

The company put asbestos into its brake shoes, brake pads and brake linings from the 1920s through the 1980s. Some reports suggest Abex also used asbestos in hydraulic systems, fluid power parts, aircraft control systems and components for railroad cars. 

Abex’s Asbestos Products

• Abex 121 Super Brakes
• Abex Corporation Brake Linings
• American Brakeblok
• Abex Brake Shoes

In 1902, American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co. began casting brake shoes for railroad cars. It later expanded into making brakes for automotive vehicles and planes. The company changed its name to Abex in 1966 to reflect its growing friction product line. Asbestos continued to play a significant role in its products through the 1980s.

A series of mergers and acquisitions tied Abex to various companies in the 20th century including Pneumo Corp., Cooper Industries and Federal-Mogul Corp. Today, the company operates under the name Abex and continues to manufacture heavy-duty brakes.

Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From Abex?

People exposed to Abex’s asbestos products included factory workers and mechanics. Factory workers who manufactured Abex products handled raw asbestos. The mechanics who used their products inhaled asbestos dust. This put them at a higher risk of developing mesothelioma.

Workers were also exposed to asbestos through insulation at the Abex factory. Occupational exposure is the No.1 cause of asbestos-related deaths.

Workers Exposed to Abex’s Asbestos Products

• Aerospace workers
• Automotive mechanics
• Construction workers
• Factory workers
• Metal workers
• Railroad workers  

Workers who came in contact with Abex’s asbestos products also unknowingly carried asbestos fibers home on dusty work clothes. This led to secondary asbestos exposure among family members who could also then develop mesothelioma.

Thousands of people filed lawsuits against Abex seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other related costs. Survivors continue to pursue mesothelioma compensation related to the effects of past exposure to Abex asbestos products.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits Involving Abex

Abex has faced thousands of personal injury and wrongful death mesothelioma lawsuits. Compensation awarded at trial has reached nearly $40 million in Abex asbestos lawsuits.

Notable Abex Verdicts and Settlements

• $37 million: A Florida jury awarded damages to the family of Gary Hampton in 2014. They claimed he developed peritoneal mesothelioma working with Abex’s brake products. He worked as an auto mechanic for 7 years in the 1970s.
• $14 million: Retired mechanic Gordon Bankhead filed a personal injury lawsuit against Abex in 2010. He developed mesothelioma using asbestos brake pads from 1965 to 1999. He was awarded nearly $4 million in damages. He died a year later, and his family was awarded an additional $11 million in a wrongful death lawsuit in 2014.
• $9.6 million: A jury awarded Charles Gillenwater compensatory damages in 2014 after he sued several companies, including Abex. Gillenwater claimed his mesothelioma developed from working with asbestos products in the 1970s. 
• $1 million: In 2024, Abex settled amid pre-trial hearings with John Sigg. A career maintenance mechanic, Sigg developed asbestos-related lung cancer from asbestos parts. While the exact settlement amount is unknown, it was reportedly more than $1 million.

These lawsuits claim Abex asbestos products caused workers to develop mesothelioma. Whether a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, they assert similar claims. These product liability lawsuits often claim negligent exposure and failure to warn about the dangers of asbestos.

Abex continues to handle asbestos lawsuits through the court system. Unlike other asbestos companies that funded a trust, Abex’s trust didn’t develop through bankruptcy courts. As a result, claimants still file lawsuits against Abex rather than a trust fund claim.

Abex Asbestos Settlements

An asbestos settlement agreement created a trust fund to handle Abex mesothelioma and other asbestos-related claims in 2011. It’s different from other asbestos trust funds because it wasn’t created through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The settlement agreement served to disentangle the asbestos liabilities connected to Abex’s former owners.

It began when Federal-Mogul filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2001. Abex products would have fallen under their trust, but past liability came into play. Cooper Industries held certain liabilities related to Abex’s historical asbestos use. 

Cooper wanted to pay into the Federal-Mogul trust to resolve its asbestos liability. But that plan failed because Cooper wasn’t in danger of bankruptcy.

As a result of the settlement agreement, Cooper Industries contributed $307.5 million to the trust. Pneumo Abex’s parent company contributed about $20 million. The trust also transferred ownership of Pneumo Abex.

Dispute Leads to Additional Funding

A dispute between PepsiCo Inc. and Eaton Corp. led to an injection of funds in 2018. In a lawsuit, Pepsi asserted the trust wasn’t sufficiently funded to handle future claims. The suit claimed Eaton, which acquired Abex’s liability through an acquisition in 2012, needed to contribute funds to the trust.

Pepsi officials said the lack of funds put Pepsi in a position to be sued in the future because of a prior indemnity agreement between Pepsi and Pneumo Abex. The court ordered Eaton to pay $293 million into the Pneumo Abex asbestos trust. 

Legal Help for People Exposed to Abex’s Asbestos Products

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma from exposure to Abex products, legal help is available. You might be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. 

If you lost a loved one, you may qualify to file a wrongful death claim. Compensation from claims can help with doctor bills and make up for lost income.

It’s important to file your claim before a specific date, which is called the statute of limitations. Each state has a rule that says you only have a certain amount of time to take legal action. How long you have depends on where you live.

Our Patient Advocates can answer any questions you may have about your legal options and financial assistance. They can also help you find the best lawyers for your type of exposure case. Our team can match you with law firms that can best help you through the legal process.

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