Was Burnham / Weil-McLain / HB Smith / Peerless — asbestos documented in litigation?

Burnham / Weil-McLain / HB Smith / Peerless — is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to Burnham / Weil-McLain / HB Smith / Peerless — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Burnham / Weil-McLain / HB Smith / Peerless — products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Hvac-Equipment

Burnham / Weil-McLain / HB Smith / Peerless Cast-Iron Sectional Heating Boilers

⚖ Litigation RecordAsbestos era through 1980sAsbestos rope gasket at boiler section joints; asbestos boiler-jacket insulation; asbestos flue-draft-diverter gasket material; asbestos pipe covering on installed boiler piping

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Product Description

Burnham Holdings (Burnham Boiler; founded 1873, Lancaster PA), Weil-McLain (founded 1881, Michigan City IN), H.B. Smith Company (founded 1873, Westfield MA; closed 2018), and Peerless Boiler (founded 1866; today part of PB Heat) manufactured through the 20th century the principal U.S. lines of cast-iron sectional hydronic and steam heating boilers used in residential, commercial (schools, hospitals, offices, apartment buildings), and light-industrial heating installations. Cast-iron sectional boilers were the U.S. commercial building-heating standard through most of the asbestos era.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that these cast-iron sectional heating boilers were specified through the asbestos era with:

Asbestos rope gasket material at cast-iron boiler section joints (a routine multi-decade replacement item during boiler service)
Asbestos boiler-jacket insulation wrapping the boiler section stack
Asbestos flue-draft-diverter gasket material
Asbestos pipe covering on installed boiler steam and hot-water piping

Boiler installation and service workers routinely broke and re-set boiler section gaskets during multi-decade boiler service life. These boilers are heavily-litigated U.S. asbestos-heating-equipment defendants.

Burnham / Weil-McLain / H.B. Smith / Peerless has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Plumbers (UA Local members) installing residential and commercial cast-iron boilers
Steamfitters working commercial building steam-heating boilers
Boiler mechanics servicing cast-iron sectional boilers over multi-decade service life
Building maintenance workers in schools, hospitals, offices with cast-iron heating boilers
Insulators (HFIAW Local members) insulating boiler installations

If You Worked With Burnham, Weil-McLain, HB Smith, or Peerless Boilers

If you installed, serviced, or removed Burnham, Weil-McLain, H.B. Smith, or Peerless cast-iron sectional heating boilers during the asbestos era — and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness — you may have legal rights.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Product Facts

Trade NameBurnham / Weil-McLain / HB Smith / Peerless Cast-Iron Sectional Heating Boilers

Years ProducedAsbestos era through 1980s

Asbestos ContentAsbestos rope gasket at boiler section joints; asbestos boiler-jacket insulation; asbestos flue-draft-diverter gasket material; asbestos pipe covering on installed boiler piping

CategoryHvac-Equipment Boilers Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

PlumbersSteamfittersPipefittersBoiler mechanicsInsulators

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Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

Free case evaluation — no obligation to hire
No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
Trust fund claims, civil lawsuits, and VA benefits pursued simultaneously

Call: (314) 207-2823 Free consultation — available now

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Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

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