Pneumo Abex: Former Asbestos Brake Lining Manufacturer
Pneumo Abex LLC is a holding company and is what remains of its predecessor, The Abex Corporation. For most of this century, the Abex Corporation has been one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos-containing brake lining material utilized on a variety of vehicles from light trucks and cars to railroad trains and just about everything in between. Exposure to asbestos has since been clearly linked to the development of diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. Asbestos use is now highly regulated in the United States as well as many developed countries.
The Abex Corporation incorporated in 1902 as the American Brake Shoe and Foundry Co. In 1937 American Brakeblok Corp. merged with The American Brake Shoe and Foundry Co. and thereafter operated as the American Brakeblok Division of that company. In 1966 the company changed its name to the Abex Corporation.
Abex became aware of the health effects associated with the inhalation of asbestos fibers as early as the 1930’s and was actually involved in the asbestos manufacturers conspiracy to not only manipulate, but in fact suppress the medical research in regards to the dangers associated with the inhalation of asbestos fibers.
On November 20, 1936, various brake lining manufacturers including the American Brake Block Corporation signed a Memorandum of Agreement, committing funds for the study of asbestos and related diseases in both humans and animals by the Saranac Laboratory. At the conclusion of this study Abex and the other manufacturers responsible for sponsoring the study in the first place underwent efforts to omit from the final report any reference the study made about tumors or cancer.
In 1944 Abex began orally warning its own employees of the dangers associated with asbestos. Abex was also a member in various trade organizations throughout the past century that had knowledge of the dangers associated with exposure to asbestos contained in its products for years prior to the removal of asbestos from its products in 1987. A few of these include the American Industrial Hygiene Association; Asbestos Information Association; Asbestos Information Association/North America; Industrial Hygiene Foundation/Industrial Health Foundation; Brake Lining Manufacturing Association; Friction Materials Standards Institute ; Air Pollution Control Association; National Safety Council; and Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation.
Notwithstanding all the relevant information concerning the dangers associated with asbestos known to Abex, it was not until the 1970’s that Abex made any attempt to warn consumers of the dangers their products posed to the mechanics using them and the families they came home to.
Corporations like Abex go to great lengths to keep information like this from ever seeing the light of day. Let the expert mesothelioma attorneys at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason fight for your rights to just compensation by taking on these very issues.
