John Crane Asbestos Compensation and Lawsuits

Overview of John Crane Asbestos Compensation

For decades, patients with asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and surviving family members have been successful in getting compensation for exposure to John Crane’s asbestos products. People can file personal injury claims against the manufacturer for damages. Family members can also file wrongful death lawsuits, seeking compensation for loss of companionship or loss of support.

Key Facts About John Crane’s Compensation History

1. Between 1980 and 2025, Crane faced more than 325,000 lawsuits related to asbestos exposure.
2. As of mid-2025, there were more than 20,000 cases naming John Crane, Inc. as a defendant.
3. Over the past 45 years, more than 150 juries have ordered Crane to pay roughly $190 million in compensation.
4. Between 2020 and 2025, courts ruled against Crane for nearly $100 million.

Unlike many asbestos companies, John Crane hasn’t filed for bankruptcy. No asbestos trust fund has ever been created. This means people can still file personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against the company.

Legal Help for People Exposed to John Crane Asbestos Products

Working with a lawyer is important because Crane has a reputation for fighting asbestos lawsuits through the courts without settling, regardless of the merits of the case. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help you build a strong case and litigate on your behalf.

Your lawyer will gather evidence of your exposure and diagnosis. This typically includes your work and medical records, a doctor’s statement, witness statements and depositions. 

A Patient Advocate makes the process of selecting the right lawyer for you and your family easier. Your Patient Advocate will match you with a lawyer you’ll trust to manage your case so you can focus on your health. They can also help schedule appointments for you with leading mesothelioma doctors, manage insurance and VA benefits claims, identify other financial assistance opportunities and offer ongoing support.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits Involving John Crane

John Crane is a frequent defendant in mesothelioma lawsuits. Thousands of people who worked in the company’s factories or handled its asbestos-containing products have filed lawsuits seeking mesothelioma compensation. Because it can take decades for mesothelioma to appear, new court cases against the manufacturer continue.

Notable Asbestos Claims Against John Crane

• $40.75 million: In one of the largest asbestos injury verdicts, an Illinois jury awarded these damages to the family of Bruce Torgerson, a former engineer who passed away from mesothelioma in 2019. Torgerson spent decades working with John Crane products at industrial machinery plants and oil refineries. The 2023 verdict included $10 million in damages for the surviving family.
• $34.2 million: In September 2025, an Oregon jury awarded these damages to Richard Long, a former shipyard laborer who worked with John Crane packing and gaskets for years. Long regularly handled the company’s products while working alongside machinists in ship engine rooms from 1972 to 1985. He received a pleural mesothelioma diagnosis in 2023.
• $25 million: In December 2022, a Philadelphia jury sided with Richard and Winifred Daciw in a case against John Crane, Johns-Manville, Smith Kline, and other asbestos product manufacturers. Mr. Daciw came into contact with John Crane products as a shipfitter, pipefitter, welder and maintenance mechanic from the 1960s to 1980s.
• $4.5 million: An Illinois panel upheld this verdict for the estate of Patrick O’Reilly in 2019. He was a former John Crane pipefitter from 1957 to 1985.
• $3.45 million: A Virginia jury awarded this multimillion-dollar verdict in September 2024. Patricia Katcham filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2022 after her husband passed away from mesothelioma. As a millwright, James Katcham worked directly with asbestos-containing John Crane products from the 1960s to the late 1970s.
• $1.75 million: In 2024, a South Carolina jury sided with Melba Bolton, the widow of a longtime maintenance technician who died from mesothelioma. Curtis Bolton was exposed to asbestos from John Crane gaskets at a manufacturing plant between 1971 and 1977. The jury awarded approximately $530,000 for Bolton’s wrongful death claim, $600,000 for survival damages and $600,000 for loss of companionship.

In the ongoing Pelton v. John Crane, Inc. case, an Illinois judge sided with plaintiffs Chloyde and Shirley Pelton in January 2024. The judge found the evidence and expert testimony supported Pelton’s claim that John Crane products significantly contributed to his asbestos exposure as a pipefitter and mesothelioma diagnosis.

John Crane’s Connection to Asbestos

John Crane used asbestos fibers in its sealing products for many decades, exposing workers to the toxic mineral until at least 1983. From its start in 1917 as the Crane Packing Company in Chicago, John Crane rapidly grew into a global manufacturer with more than 19 factories and 6,500 employees across 50 countries.

Many of the company’s early products contained asbestos in gaskets and packing materials, including the first automotive mechanical seal in 1939 and other seals for rotating equipment. These products were widely used in the oil, gas, chemical, mining, paper and pulp industries. Internal documents from the 1960s suggest that John Crane gaskets and seals were often considered the “industry standard” for industrial applications.

Despite knowing about the hazards of asbestos as of the 1970s, John Crane kept using the material in many products for a decade or more. The manufacturer also didn’t warn end users of the risks, exposing countless workers in North America to the harmful fibers. Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma cancer, an aggressive cancer that is challenging to treat.

John Crane’s Asbestos Products

John Crane produced industrial packing, gaskets and yarn that contained asbestos. During a 2001 trial, one of the company’s representatives admitted that 13 styles of gaskets it produced between 1962 and 1982 contained asbestos.

Products Containing Asbestos

• Chemlon braided packing
• Chemlon cup and cone ring packing
• Chemlon molded packing
• Gaskets
• Hydraulic packing
• Rope packing
• Yarn

Some of these asbestos products contained as much as 80% asbestos. The company used 2 types of asbestos: white chrysotile asbestos and blue crocidolite asbestos.

Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From John Crane Products?

John Crane asbestos products affected people in many industries, from the military to industrial manufacturing. Anyone who worked with or near Crane’s seals, gaskets and packing can be at risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.

Higher Risk Occupations

• Auto assembly line workers
• Auto mechanics
• Boiler workers
• Chemical plant workers
• John Crane factory workers
• Machinists
• Oil refinery workers
• Paper mill workers
• Pipefitters and steamfitters
• Plumbers
• Railway workers
• Shipyard workers
• Veterans of the U.S. Navy and other armed forces personnel

Factory employees and maintenance crews handling pumps, valves and rotating equipment in oil, chemical and other high-heat industrial settings faced asbestos exposure at work. Installing and removing John Crane products required using power wire brushes, hand scrapers and hammers, which released asbestos fibers. At trial, mesothelioma patient James Katcham testified about these hazardous removal processes.

Workers who replaced John Crane valves and gaskets often had to scrape away asbestos pipe insulation, increasing their exposure. Workers in tight, poorly ventilated spaces like ship compartments and auto garages faced especially high risk because of limited airflow. 

Recommended Reading