Was Colt Industries / Fairbanks Morse — asbestos documented in litigation?

Colt Industries / Fairbanks Morse — 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 Colt Industries / Fairbanks Morse — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Colt Industries / Fairbanks Morse — 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.

Gaskets

Colt Industries / Fairbanks Morse Marine Diesel Engines, Locomotive Diesels, Pumps, Motors

⚖ Litigation Record1893-present (Fairbanks Morse; Colt Industries 1964-1988; asbestos era through 1980s)Asbestos engine-room and exhaust insulation; asbestos gaskets and packing; asbestos electrical insulation; asbestos-insulated locomotive components

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Colt Industries Inc. (formed 1964 by the merger of Fairbanks Morse & Company — founded 1893 — with Penn-Texas Corporation; ultimately restructured 1988; today Fairbanks Morse operates as an independent company) was through the 1960s-1980s a diversified U.S. industrial conglomerate whose most-litigated asbestos-era product lines were:

Fairbanks Morse Engine (Beloit WI) — opposed-piston diesel engines for U.S. Navy submarines (WWII fleet subs, later diesel-electric propulsion), commercial marine, and industrial power generation
Fairbanks Morse locomotive diesels — the historic Fairbanks Morse H-line and Trainmaster diesel-electric locomotives built through the 1950s
Fairbanks Morse Pump (Kansas City KS) — vertical turbine pumps, fire pumps, industrial centrifugal pumps
Fairbanks Morse Motors and Weighing Systems — industrial motors and scales

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Colt Industries / Fairbanks Morse equipment was specified through the asbestos era with:

Asbestos engine-room and exhaust manifold insulation on FM opposed-piston diesel engines
Asbestos gaskets and packing at engine and pump connections
Asbestos electrical insulation on FM motor and generator wiring
Asbestos engine-compartment insulation on FM diesel-electric locomotives
Asbestos pump packing at Fairbanks Morse pump stuffing boxes

Colt Industries / Fairbanks Morse has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Navy machinist mates on WWII fleet submarines and post-war Navy vessels with FM engines
Marine machinists working FM engines aboard commercial vessels
Locomotive engineers, firemen, and shop machinists working FM diesel-electric locomotives
Plant millwrights and pump-shop technicians servicing FM pumps
Industrial-plant electricians working FM motors and generators

If You Worked With Fairbanks Morse Equipment

If you operated, serviced, or worked in proximity to Colt Industries / Fairbanks Morse marine diesel engines, locomotive diesels, pumps, or motors during the asbestos era — including aboard a U.S. Navy submarine or commercial vessel or in U.S. railroad diesel-electric locomotive service — 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 NameColt Industries / Fairbanks Morse Marine Diesel Engines, Locomotive Diesels, Pumps, Motors

Years Produced1893-present (Fairbanks Morse; Colt Industries 1964-1988; asbestos era through 1980s)

Asbestos ContentAsbestos engine-room and exhaust insulation; asbestos gaskets and packing; asbestos electrical insulation; asbestos-insulated locomotive components

CategoryGaskets Gaskets-Packing Electrical

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Marine machinistsNavy machinist matesLocomotive engineersPlant millwrights

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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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