Was Lion Apparel — Firefighter Turnout Coat and Bunker Pant asbestos documented in litigation?

Lion Apparel — Firefighter Turnout Coat and Bunker Pant 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 Lion Apparel — Firefighter Turnout Coat and Bunker Pant asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Lion Apparel — Firefighter Turnout Coat and Bunker Pant 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.

Firefighter-Gear

Lion Apparel (Lion Uniform / Lion Bunker Gear) firefighter turnout coat and structural bunker pant with asbestos-fabric moisture barrier and asbestos-fabric thermal-liner assembly

⚖ Litigation Record1940s-1980sAllegedly, asbestos-fabric moisture-barrier layer and asbestos-fabric thermal-liner assembly built into the multi-layer turnout coat and bunker pant construction; fiber release during heat cycling, decon washing, on-station repair, and end-of-life disposal

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Lion Apparel (formerly Lion Uniform, sometimes marketed as Lion Bunker Gear) has been one of the largest suppliers of structural firefighting turnout gear to U.S. municipal fire departments and industrial fire brigades. Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that pre-Nomex generation Lion turnout coats and structural bunker pants allegedly incorporated an asbestos-fabric moisture-barrier layer and an asbestos-fabric thermal-liner assembly built into the multi-layer coat and pant construction.

Allegedly, these interior asbestos layers provided the primary heat and steam-flash protection between the outer shell and the wearer’s inner clothing before aramid thermal liners and non-asbestos moisture barriers displaced asbestos in later generations.

Workers Exposed

Municipal structural firefighters — allegedly exposed to fiber release from moisture-barrier and thermal-liner layers during working fires, salvage/overhaul, and doffing
Industrial fire brigades — refinery, chemical plant, and steel mill in-house brigade members allegedly issued Lion turnout gear for hot-work standby and emergency response
Fire equipment maintenance personnel — allegedly exposed during turnout gear inspection, seam repair, laundering, and disposal
Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) crews — allegedly issued Lion bunker pants and coats for airfield emergency response
Fire training academy instructors — allegedly exposed through repeated live-burn evolutions in asbestos-liner turnout gear

If You Wore Lion Apparel Turnout Gear

Firefighter asbestos exposure claims are actively litigated in U.S. courts, and the 20-50 year latency period between exposure and mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer diagnosis is typical of this occupational class. If you or a family member wore Lion Apparel, Lion Uniform, or Lion Bunker Gear turnout coats or pants during a fire-service career and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may have a claim.

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If You Worked at Lion Apparel

If you or a family member worked at Lion Apparel and were exposed to asbestos-containing materials at this facility — and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease — you may be entitled to significant compensation. Time-sensitive filing deadlines apply.

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✓ No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
✓ Trust fund claims and civil lawsuits pursued simultaneously

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Product Facts

Trade NameLion Apparel (Lion Uniform / Lion Bunker Gear) firefighter turnout coat and structural bunker pant with asbestos-fabric moisture barrier and asbestos-fabric thermal-liner assembly

Years Produced1940s-1980s

Asbestos ContentAllegedly, asbestos-fabric moisture-barrier layer and asbestos-fabric thermal-liner assembly built into the multi-layer turnout coat and bunker pant construction; fiber release during heat cycling, decon washing, on-station repair, and end-of-life disposal

CategoryFirefighter-Gear Personal-Protective-Equipment

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Municipal FirefightersIndustrial Fire BrigadesFire Equipment Maintenance PersonnelAircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Crews

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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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