Lincoln Electric Compensation and Asbestos Lawsuits

Overview of Lincoln Electric Asbestos Compensation

Workers with mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases continue to take Lincoln Electric to court over asbestos welding rods it made from 1930 to 1980. These lawsuits seek compensation for medical expenses, pain, suffering and lost wages.

In addition to personal injury lawsuits against the company, surviving family members also file wrongful death claims. These cases seek compensation for economic loss and loss of companionship.

Unlike many other asbestos manufacturers, Lincoln Electric hasn’t filed for bankruptcy. Without having filed for bankruptcy, the company has never set up an asbestos trust fund.

Legal Help for People Exposed to Lincoln Electric Asbestos Products

Choosing an experienced mesothelioma lawyer is vital for building a solid case against Lincoln Electric. Your lawyer will review your work and medical history, gather witness statements and conduct depositions to prove your mesothelioma or lung cancer is connected to the company’s products.

They’ll manage all aspects of your mesothelioma lawsuit from filing to negotiating a settlement. Your lawyer should not only be knowledgeable, but someone you and your family are comfortable with.

You don’t have to tackle this process alone. A Patient Advocate can match you with asbestos lawyers who have track records of success in cases like yours. They’ll also help you find top doctors, assist with the insurance process and VA benefits claims and connect you with support groups.

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Mesothelioma Lawsuits Involving Lincoln Electric

Because of its asbestos use in welding rods, Lincoln Electric has faced more than 57,000 asbestos claims since 1995. As of December 2024, there were still about 1,300 pending asbestos lawsuits against the company.

Asbestos Claims Against Lincoln Electric

• $14.5 million: A Philadelphia jury awarded these damages to the family of James Nelson in 2010. A metalworker who used Lincoln Electric welding rods, Nelson developed mesothelioma and died in 2009. 
• $6.6 million: Former welders Angel Gomez and Daniel Tucker won this verdict against Lincoln Electric and Hobart Brothers in 2003. The men developed mesothelioma and lung cancer from years-long exposure to the company’s products. This was the first U.S. verdict to make a connection between welding rods and asbestos exposure.
• $396,000: A Pennsylvania appeals court sided with John Donoughe in 2007. A railyard worker, he used Lincoln welding rods to repair air brakes at Penn Central Railroad. Donoughe filed a lawsuit against Lincoln Electric and 10 other asbestos manufacturers.

Lincoln Electric continues to defend itself against asbestos litigation stemming from its welding rod products. The company has paid settlements and verdicts totaling millions of dollars to people who developed mesothelioma and lung cancer from exposure to its asbestos-containing welding rods.

Lincoln Electric’s Connection to Asbestos

Electric motor engineer John Lincoln founded Lincoln Electric Company in 1895. The company’s top product lines included welding equipment and rechargeable batteries for electric automobiles. In August 1930, it began manufacturing E6010 welding rods that contained asbestos fibers under the product name Fleetweld 5.

During World War II, Lincoln Electric was the world’s largest producer of arc welding equipment. Many of its products contained asbestos to improve their fireproof qualities. The company also received ship repair assignments from the U.S. Navy during this period. Workers who repaired ships faced high risks of asbestos exposure because Naval vessels used the material extensively around pumps, engine rooms and pipes.

Lincoln Electric stopped using asbestos in 1981, but diseases like mesothelioma take 20 to 60 years from asbestos exposure to develop. Former Lincoln Electric employees and the professionals who used its products may still be at risk of developing mesothelioma or lung cancer.

In 2024, Lincoln Electric generated more than $4 billion in global sales and nearly $1.5 billion in gross profit. The company operates 40 manufacturing centers worldwide and distributes products in more than 160 countries.

Lincoln Electric’s Asbestos Products

Welding rods were one of Lincoln Electric’s most popular and widely sold asbestos products. Some documents suggest certain rod types contained as much as 15% asbestos.

Welding rods are encased in a specialized material called flux, which creates a protective shield during welding to prevent rust and contamination of metal surfaces. Many categories of Lincoln Electric products used asbestos fibers in the flux layer to control heat.

Lincoln Electric’s Asbestos Welding Rods

• Chromeweld (until 1950)
• Fleetweld (until 1980)
• Frameweld (until 1980)
• Manganweld (until 1953)
• Shield-Arc (until 1981)
• Toolweld A&O (until 1963)
• Wearweld (until 1980)

The fibers added to the company’s flux consisted of 20% chrysotile asbestos and 80% other serpentine minerals. Because the thickness and size of the flux layer varied, different Lincoln Electric electrodes had varying amounts of asbestos fibers, usually from 1.15% to nearly 4.5% of the total rod weight.

Despite what manufacturers often argue, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says, “There is no safe level of asbestos exposure for any type of asbestos fiber. Asbestos exposures as short in duration as a few days have caused mesothelioma in humans.”

Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From Lincoln Electric Asbestos Products?

Available court documents suggest that most asbestos claims against Lincoln Electric come from commercial and industrial welders. Welding equipment has been a source of asbestos exposure for thousands of workers.

The work of welding contractors isn’t limited to a single industry. Welders play an important role in construction projects, oil and gas operations, shipbuilding and automotive manufacturing.

Higher-Risk Jobs

• Automotive manufacturing workers
• Auto mechanics and brake repair technicians
• Factory workers
• Maintenance workers
• Offshore oil rig personnel
• Oil pipeline workers
• Power plant workers
• Railway workers
• Shipyard workers
• Welders

Even though the high heat generated during welding would destroy asbestos fibers on the rod surface, toxic dust could be present in the surrounding area. Scraping, impacts, bending or other damage to the electrodes could also break the flux layer and release harmful asbestos fibers.

Unprotected workers could breathe in asbestos fibers or carry the dust home on their clothing and hair. A 2022 European Commission report found 70,000 workers died in just one year from past exposure to asbestos.

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