Was IBM (International Business Machines) — asbestos documented in litigation?

IBM (International Business Machines) — 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 IBM (International Business Machines) — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to IBM (International Business Machines) — 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.

Electrical

IBM Manufacturing and Research Plants — Endicott NY, Poughkeepsie NY, San Jose CA, Rochester MN, Austin TX, Kingston NY, East Fishkill NY

⚖ Litigation Record1911-1980s (asbestos era at IBM premises)Asbestos pipe covering on steam and process piping, asbestos block insulation on boilers and process equipment, asbestos floor tile and mastic, asbestos ceiling tile, asbestos gaskets and packing on process piping, asbestos-containing wire insulation and electrical components, asbestos in clean-room construction materials at IBM manufacturing and research plants

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Premises Description

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) (founded 1911 as CTR; renamed International Business Machines 1924; headquartered in Armonk NY) operated through the asbestos era some of the largest and most technically complex electronics, punch-card, mainframe, disk-drive, semiconductor, and typewriter manufacturing plants in the United States. IBM’s principal asbestos-era U.S. manufacturing footprint included:

Endicott NY — IBM’s historic birthplace campus; punch-card, tabulating equipment, mainframe, and semiconductor / circuit-card manufacturing (1911-1990s)
Poughkeepsie NY — mainframe (System/360, System/370, zSeries) manufacturing and R&D
East Fishkill NY — semiconductor / integrated-circuit manufacturing
Kingston NY — Federal Systems / mainframe and Space Shuttle / defense-electronics operations
San Jose CA — disk-drive (Almaden Research Center; birthplace of hard disk) and storage manufacturing
Rochester MN — mid-range systems (AS/400 / iSeries) manufacturing
Austin TX — RS/6000, PowerPC, and workstation manufacturing
Lexington KY — typewriter and printer manufacturing (later Lexmark spin-off)
Boulder CO — printer and storage manufacturing
Manassas VA — semiconductor manufacturing

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that IBM — as premises owner — exposed its manufacturing workforce (including semiconductor-fab operators, clean-room workers, disk-drive assemblers, and mainframe production workers) and contractor pipefitters, insulators, electricians, and millwrights to asbestos pipe covering on steam and process piping, block insulation on boilers and process equipment, floor tile and mastic, ceiling tile, gaskets and packing on process piping, and asbestos-containing construction materials at IBM plants through the asbestos era.

IBM has been named as a Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

IBM manufacturing operators at Endicott, Poughkeepsie, San Jose, Rochester, Austin, and East Fishkill plants
Semiconductor-fab and clean-room workers at IBM East Fishkill, Burlington VT, and Manassas VA
Electricians (IBEW Local members) on IBM plant electrical systems
Insulators (HFIAW Local members) on IBM steam and process piping and boilers
Pipefitters (UA Local members) on IBM plant piping and HVAC
Millwrights (Carpenters / UBC) on IBM manufacturing-equipment installation
Building maintenance workers on IBM floor-tile, ceiling-tile, and pipe-insulation repair and replacement
Contractor construction trades on IBM plant expansions and clean-room build-outs

If You Worked at an IBM Plant

If you worked at an IBM manufacturing, semiconductor, disk-drive, or research plant — Endicott NY, Poughkeepsie NY, East Fishkill NY, Kingston NY, San Jose CA, Rochester MN, Austin TX, or another IBM site — during the asbestos era, as an IBM 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 NameIBM Manufacturing and Research Plants — Endicott NY, Poughkeepsie NY, San Jose CA, Rochester MN, Austin TX, Kingston NY, East Fishkill NY

Years Produced1911-1980s (asbestos era at IBM premises)

Asbestos ContentAsbestos pipe covering on steam and process piping, asbestos block insulation on boilers and process equipment, asbestos floor tile and mastic, asbestos ceiling tile, asbestos gaskets and packing on process piping, asbestos-containing wire insulation and electrical components, asbestos in clean-room construction materials at IBM manufacturing and research plants

CategoryElectrical Industrial-Chemicals

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

ElectriciansInsulatorsPipefittersMillwrightsMaintenance workersConstruction trades

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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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