Asbestos Brakes, Clutches, and Friction Materials: Asbestos Court Decisions

Decisions in our case-law library that involve brakes, clutches and friction materials: 421 cases, by state. Each line gives the exposure the court described, or else what it decided. For the topic itself, see Asbestos Brakes, Clutches, and Friction Materials.

Florida

• Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft v. Jones (2nd District, 2017). Career in the automotive industry in upstate New York
• Waite v. Aii Acquisition Corp. (2016). Personal brake and clutch repair (never employed as a brake mechanic) at ages sixteen to forty
• Honeywell International, Inc. v. Guilder (3rd District, 2009). Repaired automobiles at 1970s-1980s
• Honeywell International, Inc. v. Guilder (3rd District, 2009). Repaired automobiles at 1970's and 1980's

Georgia

• Scapa Dryer Fabrics, Inc. v. Knight (2015). Sheet metal, plumbing, drywall, automobile clutch and brake, and roofing work at 1959-mid 1980s
• Union Carbide Corporation v. Fields (2012). Child present during family brake work at Family vehicles

Illinois

• LaFever v. Ford Motor Company (3rd District, 2023). Farmer doing his own vehicle brake replacement at family farm
• Johnson v. Orton (2021). Brake jobs and one drywall job at 1970s
• Jones v. Pneumo Abex LLC (5th District, 2021). Repairing brakes on motor vehicles that he owned
• Jones v. Pneumo Abex LLC (2019). Repaired brakes on motor vehicles he owned at 1962 through the 1970's
• Ayotte v. Boeing Co. (2018). Commercial airline mechanic at O'Hare Airport; West Palm Beach Airport; Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Chicago, 1979-2004
• McKinney v. Hobart Bros. Co. (4th District, 2018). Automobile mechanic at over 40 years
• Neumann v. Borg-Warner Morse Tec LLC (2016). Mother of a gas station attendant and mechanic; laundered his clothes at 1970-1974
• Smith v. Illinois Central R. Co. (4th District, 2015). Wheel and axle shop and storeroom worker, then scrap dock worker at Bloomington rail yard, 1955-1958
• Speedy v. 3M Company (2015). Employment at a NAPA Store at NAPA Store

Indiana

• Sorenson v. Allied Products Corp. (1999). Mechanic at Fowler Oliver Sales, Inc., 1964-1971 and 1977-1993

Iowa

• Fankhauser v. Honeywell International, Inc. (2022). Equipment operator, highway maintenance, truck driver, mechanic's helper, and mechanic at Iowa Department of Transportation, 1968-2006
• Fankhauser v. Honeywell International, Inc. (2022). Equipment operator, highway maintenance, truck driver, mechanic's helper, and mechanic at Iowa Department of Transportation, 1968-2006

Kentucky

• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2022). The court granted Brake Supply's motion to permit an apportionment instruction naming Fras-Le, a third-party defendant dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction, contingent on Brake Supply presenting enough evidence at trial of Fras-Le's fault.
• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2022). Worked on brakes for his employer at Smith Coal, 1984-1992
• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2021). Class C oiler mechanic at Smith Coal surface mine sites, 1984-93
• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2021). Mechanic, truck driver, and heavy equipment operator at Smith Coal, 1984-1992
• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company (2020). Employee of Smith Coal at Smith Coal, 1984-1992
• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company (2020). Employee of Smith Coal at Smith Coal, 1984 to 1992
• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2020). Employee of Smith Coal (mining equipment work) at Smith Coal, 1984-1992
• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2020). Worked at Smith Coal at Smith Coal (Providence Mine, Southard Mine, Cypress Creek mines)
• Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2020). The district court overruled Honeywell's objection and left in place the Magistrate Judge's orders compelling Honeywell to answer an interrogatory and a document request, so the Papineaus prevailed.
• Landreth v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2017). Auto parts store worker who handled and delivered new and used brake parts at Coleman Auto Parts, Princeton, 1969-1970
• Surita v. Arvinmeritor, Inc. (2017). Helping her father with brake jobs at Family vehicles, Shabbona, Illinois, 1970s-1980s
• Mannahan v. Eaton Corporation (2016). Laborer at Lynnville Mine, 1968
• Durham v. Ford Motor Company (2014). Replaced brakes on personal vehicles at personal vehicles

Louisiana

• Alford v. Taylor-Seidenbach, Inc. (2025). Mixed drilling mud on oil rigs at Noble Drilling Corporation oil rigs
• Ragusa v. Louisiana Guaranty Insurance Association (2023). Crane operator at Various plants and refineries owned by the defendants, 1989-2017
• Ragusa v. Louisiana Guaranty Insurance Association (2023). Crane operator
• Ragusa v. Louisiana Guaranty Insurance Association (2023). Crane operator at Avondale Shipyard, 1989
• Becnel v. Lamorak Insurance Co. (2022). Mechanic at Becnel garage, 50s, 60s, and 70s
• Becnel v. Lamorak Insurance Co. (2022). Mechanic at Becnel garage, 1958-1963, 1967-2008
• Brindell v. Carlisle Industrial Brake and Friction, Inc. (4th Circuit, 2022). Mechanic repairing and maintaining brakes and axles on chassis and trailers at Port of New Orleans (Puerto Rico Marine Management, Inc. terminal), 1970-1984 (alleged); 1976-1981 per Social Security records
• Brindell v. Carlisle Industrial Brake and Friction, Inc. (4th Circuit, 2022). Mechanic at Puerto Rico Marine Management, Port of New Orleans, 1970-1984 (alleged); Social Security records show 1976-1981
• Labarre v. Bienville Auto Parts Inc. (2022). Tire repairman or salesman who performed brake jobs at Fleet Tire Service, 1961-2007
• Broussard v. Huntington Ingalls, Inc. (2021). Maintenance helper, bobcat operator, plant operator (ex-husband Kenneth Guilbeau, Sr.) at Standard Varnish and Paint Company, Inc., 1971-1980
• Labarre v. Bienville Auto Parts, Inc. (2021). Tire repairman or salesman; performed brake jobs at 1948-2007
• Michel v. Ford Motor Company (2020). Mechanic at Crescent Ford, New Orleans, 1968-1969
• Michel v. Ford Motor Co. (2019). Mechanic and generator service technician at Crescent Ford Truck, late 1960s
• Michel v. Ford Motor Co. (2019). Mechanic and generator service technician
• Michel v. Ford Motor Co. (2019). Mechanic and generator service technician at Crescent Ford
• Michel v. Ford Motor Company (2019). Mechanic at Gulf Bottlers
• Michel v. Ford Motor Company (2019). Mechanic at Gulf Bottlers and Crescent Ford
• Michel v. Ford Motor Company (2018). Parts delivery driver, truck mechanic, generator service technician, and owner operator at 1965-2005
• Hayes v. Asbestos Corp. Ltd. (2015). Car salesman at Bubba Oustalet Ford/Toyota dealership, 1993-2013