The Mergenthaler Linotype Company continues to face lawsuits over exposure to several types of asbestos insulation in its Linotype typesetting machine. The company chooses to settle most cases and hasn’t declared bankruptcy or set up an asbestos trust fund.
Overview of Mergenthaler Linotype Company Asbestos Compensation
Workers exposed to asbestos in Mergenthaler Linotype machines have filed lawsuits seeking compensation for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases for decades. The company has defended dozens of asbestos lawsuits since 1972, according to New York State Supreme Court records.
Unlike many asbestos companies, Mergenthaler hasn’t filed for bankruptcy. No asbestos trust fund has been created. This means people can still file personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against the company for asbestos exposure from Linotype machines.
Legal Help for People Exposed to Mergenthaler Asbestos Products
If your mesothelioma diagnosis results from exposure to asbestos in Mergenthaler Linotype machines, contact a mesothelioma lawyer to discuss your compensation options. An experienced lawyer can gather evidence of your exposure and diagnosis, including work and medical records, doctor statements and witness depositions.
A Patient Advocate makes selecting the right lawyer 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 schedule appointments with leading mesothelioma doctors, manage insurance and VA benefits claims, identify financial assistance opportunities and offer ongoing support.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits Involving Mergenthaler Linotype Company
Mergenthaler faces ongoing mesothelioma lawsuits from workers who developed asbestos-related diseases from exposure to Linotype machines. Most claims name Mergenthaler among multiple defending asbestos companies.
The company typically settles cases rather than proceeding to trial. This approach allows Mergenthaler to resolve claims without the uncertainty and expense of jury verdicts.
Ottmar Mergenthaler founded the Mergenthaler Linotype Company in 1890 and revolutionized the printing industry with the Linotype machine, the world’s first hot metal typesetting machine. The machine automated typesetting, selecting, arranging and replacing letterforms through keyboard operation, eliminating the manual labor older machines required.
The heat from molten metal during operation led to the use of asbestos insulation throughout the machine. Mergenthaler used asbestos fibers in cement and other products to reduce heat and prevent fires. By 1904, nearly 10,000 Linotype machines operated worldwide, printing books, magazines, newspapers and periodicals.
The Linotype machine sold well into the 1970s, but cold-type presses and photographic equipment eventually rendered molten-metal typesetting obsolete. In 1990, Mergenthaler merged with German-based Hell GmbH to form Linotype-Hell AG. The company shifted focus to digital fonts and typographical software. Today, it operates as a subsidiary of Monotype Imaging Holdings under the name Monotype GmbH.
Despite transitioning away from hot metal typesetting, Mergenthaler continues to face asbestos liabilities from Linotype machines manufactured and sold throughout most of the 20th century.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos Products on the Mergenthaler Linotype?
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The Linotype machine contained several asbestos products because molten-metal typesetting required materials that could withstand extreme temperatures. Asbestos coated various Linotype components to reduce overheating and fire risk during operation. Dry flake asbestos filled gaps in the machine.
Asbestos Products in Linotype Machines
Asbestos cement
Asbestos-coated components
Asbestos jacket insulation
Dry flake asbestos
Loose-fill asbestos insulation
Linotype technicians packed a cement paste made of ground asbestos and water between metal parts. The wet asbestos coated elevator jaws and crucible heaters and filled empty spaces between mechanical components. When workers removed or replaced Linotype parts, they poured fresh asbestos into empty spaces. The Linotype’s hot pot, which held molten lead, featured a jacket of hardened asbestos cement to retain heat and prevent fires.
Installing or removing asbestos from Linotype machines released harmful levels of airborne asbestos fibers. Overall, most asbestos exposure happens in workplaces like Mergenthaler’s operations. According to a 2022 report by the 2022 European Commission report, more than 70,000 workers died in 2019 from past exposure to asbestos.
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From Mergenthaler?
Workers who built, repaired and operated Mergenthaler Linotype machines faced a high risk of occupational asbestos exposure. Mergenthaler’s 1922 operator’s manual instructed workers to “break away as much of the asbestos insulating material packed between the crucible and the jacket as is possible.”
The same manual told workers to place the crucible in the jacket and pack it with asbestos insulation. But it didn’t warn them to wear protective gear.
Higher-Risk Occupations
Linotype installers and repair workers
Linotype operators
Mergenthaler factory workers
Newspaper employees
Publishers
Typesetters
Mergenthaler manufacturers and technicians often mixed fresh asbestos cement for the pot and jacket. Workers faced exposure when they applied jacketing or chipped away and replaced older coatings. Aged asbestos cement released fibers easily when broken.
Asbestos exposure from Linotype machines extended beyond Mergenthaler employees. Workers who operated or maintained Linotypes at publishing facilities contacted the enclosed asbestos materials. One former publishing company worker recalls skimming debris from a molten-metal recycling pool while wearing asbestos aprons and gloves.
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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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