Dana Corporation made asbestos automotive parts that major carmakers used, exposing workers and mechanics to higher cancer risks. The asbestos manufacturer was named in mesothelioma lawsuits and sold off parts of the company, known as corporate divestiture, to resolve its legal liability.
Dana Corporation made auto parts, many of which contained asbestos, the primary cause of mesothelioma and other serious illnesses. The toxic mineral’s ability to resist heat and damage from rust and chemicals made it a popular material in the auto industry. The company made parts for many popular car makers like Buick, Mack Trucks and Oldsmobile.
Dana Corporation’s Top Asbestos-Containing Products
Brake linings
Gaskets
Sheet gaskets
Spraycraft fireproofing
Valve covers
The company started in 1904 as the Spicer Company. Clarence Spicer, a young engineering student, invented the Spicer Universal Joint, left Cornell University and started a car parts business in Plainfield, New Jersey. The company began using asbestos in its products early on. A decade later, the company faced money troubles. In 1916, businessman and attorney Charles Dana invested and became president.
Spicer Company moved to Toledo, Ohio, in 1928 and was renamed Dana Corporation in 1946. In the 1960s, Dana Corporation expanded its product line, buying two other car parts companies. Eventually, the company faced financial difficulties again and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2006. While the company faced mounting lawsuits from people with mesothelioma at the time, asbestos-related debt comprised only 3% of its debt and wasn’t the main reason for the bankruptcy.
Exposed to Asbestos at Dana Corporation?
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Dana Corporation had dealt with 88,000 asbestos claims by 2005. Unlike other companies that made asbestos products, Dana settled many of these claims during bankruptcy and didn’t create a trust fund for future cases. In 2016, the company sold part of its business that was responsible for its asbestos liabilities.
Notable Asbestos Lawsuits Against Dana Corporation
$75 million: Marlena Robaey was diagnosed with mesothelioma in November 2012. She had helped her husband, Edward, fix cars with asbestos parts for more than 20 years. A New York jury found Dana Corporation was 40% responsible for her diagnosis. Robaey was awarded the most significant mesothelioma verdict in the state’s history.
$5 million: The court awarded this amount to the daughter of former pipefitter Louis Hicks in 2003. Hicks had filed the case in 2002, but when he passed away from mesothelioma, his daughter continued the case. Dana Corporation was one of 11 companies named in the suit.
While workers’ lawsuits have led to large verdicts with juries finding Dana Corporation responsible for serious health problems, most mesothelioma lawsuits end in a settlement agreement. In 2012, the company also privately settled a $21 million dispute with two insurance providers over asbestos litigation costs.
Legal Help for People Exposed to Dana Corporation’s Asbestos
An experienced asbestos lawyer can help mesothelioma survivors and their families get compensation for medical expenses, travel costs and lost wages. If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer after working at Dana Corporation or handling the company’s asbestos products, you might qualify to seek financial help through lawsuits or settlements.
The time allowed to file a claim, called the statute of limitations, varies by state but is usually 1 to 3 years from the date of your mesothelioma diagnosis. Consulting a skilled mesothelioma attorney can guide you and your family through your best legal options.
Patient Advocates assist mesothelioma survivors and their loved ones, helping them find top doctors, schedule appointments, manage insurance, file VA benefits claims, join support groups and access financial help. They offer free resources and can connect you with leading asbestos law firms nationwide to help you understand your rights.
“Our Patient Advocates can help you understand your financial assistance options. Those can be travel discounts, lodging discounts, VA benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance or legal options. That can come in the form of trust funds or traditional lawsuits. They can also help you with emotional support options.”
Who Is at Risk of Asbestos Exposure from Dana Corporation?
For many years, Dana Corporation produced several asbestos-containing products for regular and heavy-duty vehicles. In a 2025 update to its Risk Management for Asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency highlighted the health risks of chrysotile asbestos in automotive brakes. The agency stated exposure poses an unreasonable risk of cancers such as mesothelioma and lung, ovarian and laryngeal cancers from chronic inhalation.
Higher-Risk Jobs for Asbestos Exposure at Dana Corporation
Auto assembly line workers
Auto mechanics
Boiler workers
Dana manufacturing plant workers
Engine mechanics
Steamfitters
Installing or replacing asbestos brakes can release harmful fibers into the air, which puts unprotected nearby workers at higher risk of developing cancer. Workers in these higher-risk jobs also endangered their families through secondary asbestos exposure when asbestos fibers were carried home on skin, hair or clothing. Family members exposed this way can develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, just like those who worked directly with asbestos.
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D. Carl Money is an attorney at Nemeroff Law. He has devoted his career to fighting for workers diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families. Money has more than 25 years of experience fighting for people with asbestos-related diseases. He’s licensed in Texas, New York, England and Wales and belongs to various legal organizations across the U.S. and U.K.
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