Was Kenworth Truck Company / PACCAR — asbestos documented in litigation?

Kenworth Truck Company / PACCAR — 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 Kenworth Truck Company / PACCAR — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Kenworth Truck Company / PACCAR — 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

Kenworth & Peterbilt Heavy-Duty Class 8 Trucks, Seattle WA / Chillicothe OH / Denton TX / Renton WA Manufacturing

⚖ Litigation Record1923-present (Kenworth 1923; PACCAR 1971 rename; asbestos era through 1980s)Asbestos brake linings and clutch facings on Kenworth and Peterbilt Class 8 trucks supplied by Bendix, Raybestos, Abex, Rockwell, and other friction manufacturers; asbestos gaskets and packing on Cummins, Detroit Diesel, and Caterpillar engines installed in Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks; asbestos exhaust insulation on Kenworth and Peterbilt 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

Kenworth Truck Company (founded 1923 in Seattle Washington as Gerlinger Motor Car Works; renamed Kenworth 1923 for owners Harry Kent and Edgar Worthington) and its sister-brand Peterbilt Motors Company (founded 1939 in Oakland California by T.A. “Al” Peterman) are together the two flagship heavy-truck brands of PACCAR Inc. — the Bellevue WA-headquartered Fortune 500 heavy-truck manufacturer. PACCAR acquired Kenworth 1945 and Peterbilt 1958; the parent Pacific Car and Foundry Company was renamed PACCAR Inc. in 1972. Through the asbestos era and today PACCAR is one of the principal U.S. manufacturers of heavy-duty Class 8 highway tractors — Kenworth W-series conventional-cab (W900), K-series cabover (K100, K123, K200), T-series (T680, T880), and Peterbilt Model 281/351/359/379/389 conventionals and 352/362 cabovers.

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

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

Premises-vector pathways at PACCAR manufacturing plants:

Seattle WA — historic Kenworth Mercer Street plant
Renton WA — Kenworth headquarters plant (still active)
Chillicothe OH — Kenworth Class 8 assembly (opened 1974)
Denton TX — Peterbilt Class 8 assembly (opened 1980)
Newark CA — Peterbilt (closed 1986)
Madison TN — Peterbilt Class 8 assembly (opened 1969)

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.

Kenworth Truck Company, Peterbilt Motors Company, and PACCAR Inc. have been named as Manufacturer Defendants and Premises Defendants in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Kenworth and Peterbilt assembly workers at Seattle WA, Renton WA, Chillicothe OH, Denton TX, Newark CA, and Madison TN plants
Truck mechanics servicing Kenworth and Peterbilt Class 8 brake linings, clutches, engines, and exhaust systems
Brake mechanics working Kenworth and Peterbilt heavy-truck brake systems
Diesel mechanics servicing Cummins, Detroit Diesel, and Caterpillar engines in Kenworth and Peterbilt tractors
Insulators (HFIAW Local members) on PACCAR construction and turnaround crews
Construction-trade workforces on PACCAR capital projects

If You Worked With Kenworth or Peterbilt Trucks or at a PACCAR Plant

If you worked with Kenworth or Peterbilt heavy-truck brake linings, clutches, engines, or exhaust systems during the asbestos era — or worked at a Kenworth or Peterbilt manufacturing plant — 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 NameKenworth & Peterbilt Heavy-Duty Class 8 Trucks, Seattle WA / Chillicothe OH / Denton TX / Renton WA Manufacturing

Years Produced1923-present (Kenworth 1923; PACCAR 1971 rename; asbestos era through 1980s)

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

CategoryBrake-Friction Automotive-Friction Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Truck manufacturing workersTruck mechanicsBrake mechanicsDiesel mechanicsInsulators

Sponsored Legal Resource — Attorney Advertising

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

O’Brien Law Firm

Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

Get a Free Case Evaluation

Attorney Advertising. This website is published by Rights Watch Media Group LLC, an independent media organization, and is not a law firm. Visiting this site or submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. O’Brien Law Firm is a licensed Missouri law firm. Free consultations are offered at no obligation. Legal representation is provided on a contingency basis — there is no charge unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf. Individual results vary; past results do not guarantee future outcomes. This site receives compensation when visitors connect with participating law firms.