Was Packard Motor Car Company — asbestos documented in litigation?

Packard Motor Car Company — 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 Packard Motor Car Company — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Packard Motor Car Company — 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

Packard Luxury Automobiles & Marine/Aircraft Engines, Detroit MI Manufacturing Complex

⚖ Litigation Record1899-1958 (asbestos era through Studebaker-Packard merger 1954 and end of Packard-badged production 1958)Asbestos brake linings and clutch facings on Packard vehicles supplied by Bendix, Raybestos, Abex, and other friction manufacturers; asbestos gaskets, exhaust insulation, and lagging on Packard marine and aircraft engines; asbestos pipe covering, refractory, and block insulation across the Packard East Grand Boulevard Detroit MI plant complex

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product and Premises Description

Packard Motor Car Company (founded 1899 in Warren Ohio by James Ward Packard and William Doud Packard; relocated to Detroit Michigan 1903) was through the first half of the 20th century the pre-eminent American luxury automobile manufacturer, producing the flagship Packard Super Eight, Twelve, Clipper, Caribbean, and Patrician lines. During World War II Packard was a major producer of Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650 aircraft engines for the P-51 Mustang and PT-boat marine engines (Packard 4M-2500). In 1954 Packard merged with Studebaker to form Studebaker-Packard Corporation; Detroit production ended 1956 and the last Packard-badged cars (built on Studebaker bodies at South Bend IN) were produced in 1958.

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

Asbestos brake linings on Packard passenger-car brake shoes supplied by Bendix, Raybestos, Abex, and other OEM friction manufacturers
Asbestos clutch facings on Packard manual transmissions
Asbestos exhaust manifold gaskets and heat shields on Packard engines
Asbestos gaskets, exhaust wrap, and turbo lagging on Packard Merlin V-1650 aircraft engines
Asbestos gaskets, exhaust insulation, and engine-room lagging on Packard 4M-2500 PT-boat marine engines

Premises-vector pathways at the historic Packard Plant on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit — designed by industrial architect Albert Kahn, 40+ buildings spanning 3.5 million square feet on 40 acres, in operation as a Packard facility from 1903 through the 1956 Detroit shutdown:

Asbestos pipe covering on plant steam, process, and heating piping
Asbestos refractory in foundry cupolas, heat-treat furnaces, and paint-bake ovens
Asbestos block insulation on plant boilers
Asbestos gaskets and packing at process equipment
Asbestos electrical insulation on plant motor and switchgear systems
Asbestos structural fireproofing in the reinforced-concrete Kahn buildings

Packard Motor Car Company (and its successors in liability, including Studebaker-Packard) has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant and Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

UAW Local members at the Packard East Grand Boulevard Detroit complex
Auto mechanics servicing Packard brake linings, clutches, and engine gaskets
Brake mechanics working Packard vehicle brake systems
Marine engineers and Navy shipboard machinists servicing Packard 4M-2500 PT-boat engines
Aircraft mechanics servicing Packard Merlin V-1650 engines
Insulators (HFIAW Local members) on Packard construction and turnaround crews
Construction-trade workforces on Packard capital projects

If You Worked With Packard Vehicles or Engines or at the Packard Detroit Plant

If you worked with Packard brake linings, clutches, engine gaskets, or Packard aircraft or marine engines during the asbestos era — or worked at the Packard East Grand Boulevard Detroit manufacturing complex — 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 NamePackard Luxury Automobiles & Marine/Aircraft Engines, Detroit MI Manufacturing Complex

Years Produced1899-1958 (asbestos era through Studebaker-Packard merger 1954 and end of Packard-badged production 1958)

Asbestos ContentAsbestos brake linings and clutch facings on Packard vehicles supplied by Bendix, Raybestos, Abex, and other friction manufacturers; asbestos gaskets, exhaust insulation, and lagging on Packard marine and aircraft engines; asbestos pipe covering, refractory, and block insulation across the Packard East Grand Boulevard Detroit MI plant complex

CategoryBrake-Friction Automotive-Friction Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Auto manufacturing workersAuto mechanicsBrake mechanicsMarine engineersAircraft 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.