Was Freightliner Corporation — asbestos documented in litigation?

Freightliner Corporation — 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 Freightliner Corporation — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Freightliner Corporation — 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.

Brake-Friction

Freightliner Heavy-Duty Class 8 Trucks, Portland OR & Mount Holly NC Manufacturing

⚖ Litigation Record1942-present (asbestos era through 1980s)Asbestos brake linings and clutch facings on Freightliner Class 8 trucks supplied by Bendix, Raybestos, Abex, Rockwell, and other friction manufacturers; asbestos gaskets and packing on Detroit Diesel, Cummins, and Caterpillar engines installed in Freightliner trucks; asbestos exhaust insulation on Freightliner truck exhaust and cab-heater systems

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Freightliner Corporation (founded 1942 in Portland Oregon as a subsidiary of Consolidated Freightways to build lightweight aluminum-cab tractors for CF’s own long-haul fleet; began outside sales 1949; distributed exclusively by White Motor Corporation 1951-1977 as “White-Freightliner”; acquired by Daimler-Benz AG 1981; today Daimler Truck North America LLC) is through the 20th century and today one of the principal U.S. manufacturers of heavy-duty Class 8 highway tractors — cabovers (COE) and conventional-cab tractors including the historic Freightliner FL/FLA, FLB, FLC, and the modern Century, Columbia, Cascadia, and Argosy series.

Product-vector pathways Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation:

Asbestos brake linings on Freightliner Class 8 truck brake rigging (drum brakes) supplied by Bendix, Raybestos, Abex, Rockwell, and other OEM friction manufacturers
Asbestos clutch facings on Freightliner driveline components
Asbestos gaskets and packing on Detroit Diesel, Cummins, and Caterpillar diesel engines installed as OEM prime movers in Freightliner Class 8 tractors
Asbestos exhaust manifold gaskets, heat shields, and exhaust insulation on Freightliner exhaust systems
Asbestos insulation in Freightliner cab-heater and firewall installations

Premises-vector pathways at Freightliner manufacturing plants:

Portland OR — historic Swan Island / Kittridge Avenue plants
Mount Holly NC — Freightliner heavy-truck assembly (opened 1979)
Gaffney SC — Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation

At each site Plaintiffs alleged extensive asbestos pipe covering on plant steam and process piping, asbestos refractory in heat-treat furnaces and paint-bake ovens, asbestos block insulation on plant boilers, asbestos gaskets and packing at process equipment, and asbestos electrical insulation on plant motor and switchgear systems.

Freightliner Corporation (today Daimler Truck North America LLC) has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant and Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Freightliner assembly workers at Portland OR and Mount Holly NC plants
Truck mechanics servicing Freightliner Class 8 brake linings, clutches, engines, and exhaust systems
Brake mechanics working Freightliner heavy-truck brake systems
Diesel mechanics servicing Detroit Diesel, Cummins, and Caterpillar engines in Freightliner tractors
Insulators (HFIAW Local members) on Freightliner construction and turnaround crews
Construction-trade workforces on Freightliner capital projects

If You Worked With Freightliner Trucks or at a Freightliner Plant

If you worked with Freightliner heavy-truck brake linings, clutches, engines, or exhaust systems during the asbestos era — or worked at the Freightliner Portland OR or Mount Holly NC manufacturing plants — as an employee or as a dispatched contractor trade worker — 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 NameFreightliner Heavy-Duty Class 8 Trucks, Portland OR & Mount Holly NC Manufacturing

Years Produced1942-present (asbestos era through 1980s)

Asbestos ContentAsbestos brake linings and clutch facings on Freightliner Class 8 trucks supplied by Bendix, Raybestos, Abex, Rockwell, and other friction manufacturers; asbestos gaskets and packing on Detroit Diesel, Cummins, and Caterpillar engines installed in Freightliner trucks; asbestos exhaust insulation on Freightliner truck exhaust and cab-heater systems

CategoryBrake-Friction Automotive-Friction Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Truck manufacturing workersTruck mechanicsBrake mechanicsDiesel 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.

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Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

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