Was Cooper-Bessemer — Natural-gas compressor asbestos documented in litigation?

Cooper-Bessemer — Natural-gas compressor 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 Cooper-Bessemer — Natural-gas compressor asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Cooper-Bessemer — Natural-gas compressor 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.

Gaskets

Cooper-Bessemer integral-engine natural-gas compressor asbestos-fabric cylinder-jacket lagging and exhaust-manifold insulation

⚖ Litigation Record1940s-1990sWoven asbestos-fabric lagging, asbestos-cloth blanket insulation, and asbestos exhaust-manifold wrap allegedly installed on Cooper-Bessemer integral-engine natural-gas compressor power-cylinder jackets, exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, and heat-exchanger shells; compressed asbestos sheet gaskets and braided asbestos rod packing allegedly used at compressor cylinder heads, valve covers, and piston-rod stuffing boxes. Compressor mechanics, insulators, and pipefitters allegedly cut, wrapped, and stripped the fabric jacket lagging during outages, releasing airborne asbestos fibers into pipeline station engine rooms.

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Cooper-Bessemer (later Cooper Industries / Cooper Energy Services / Cameron) allegedly supplied large integral-engine natural-gas compressors — the “Cooper GMV” and related models — that dominated U.S. interstate natural-gas pipeline compressor stations from the 1940s through the 1990s. Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that each Cooper-Bessemer integral unit combined a large slow-speed gas engine driving reciprocating compressor cylinders on a common frame, and that both the engine side and the compressor side of the machine carried asbestos-containing insulation and sealing products.

On the engine side, plaintiffs alleged the power-cylinder heads, exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, and heat-exchanger shells were lagged with woven asbestos-fabric jackets, asbestos-cloth blanket insulation, and asbestos exhaust-wrap. On the compressor side, plaintiffs alleged the piston-rod stuffing boxes were packed with braided asbestos rope, and cylinder heads, valve covers, and unloader housings were sealed with compressed asbestos sheet gaskets. Every scheduled top-end job or valve-and-packing round allegedly required the fabric lagging to be cut open, the gaskets scraped from mating surfaces, and the packing rings driven out of the stuffing box — releasing dry asbestos fibers throughout the engine room.

Workers Exposed

Compressor mechanics performing top-end jobs, valve-and-packing changes, and turbocharger service on Cooper-Bessemer integral units.
Insulators (HFIAW) installing and stripping asbestos-fabric jacket lagging on power-cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds.
Pipefitters (UA) breaking fuel-gas, suction, and discharge piping into Cooper-Bessemer frames.
Millwrights rigging cylinders, pistons, and manifolds during major overhauls.
Instrument fitters working pulsation-bottle, gauge, and control tubing during outages.

Bystanders in the compressor-station engine room were exposed to airborne fibers released by lagging removal, packing pull, and gasket scraping.

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If you or a family member worked at Cooper-Bessemer 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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Product Facts

Trade NameCooper-Bessemer integral-engine natural-gas compressor asbestos-fabric cylinder-jacket lagging and exhaust-manifold insulation

Years Produced1940s-1990s

Asbestos ContentWoven asbestos-fabric lagging, asbestos-cloth blanket insulation, and asbestos exhaust-manifold wrap allegedly installed on Cooper-Bessemer integral-engine natural-gas compressor power-cylinder jackets, exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, and heat-exchanger shells; compressed asbestos sheet gaskets and braided asbestos rod packing allegedly used at compressor cylinder heads, valve covers, and piston-rod stuffing boxes. Compressor mechanics, insulators, and pipefitters allegedly cut, wrapped, and stripped the fabric jacket lagging during outages, releasing airborne asbestos fibers into pipeline station engine rooms.

CategoryGaskets Gaskets-Packing Boilers

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Compressor MechanicsInsulatorsPipefittersMillwrightsInstrument Fitters

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Quick Reference

Years1940s-1990s

AsbestosWoven asbestos-fabric lagging, asbestos-cloth blanket insulation, and asbestos exhaust-manifold wrap allegedly installed on Cooper-Bessemer integral-engine natural-gas compressor power-cylinder jackets, exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, and heat-exchanger shells; compressed asbestos sheet gaskets and braided asbestos rod packing allegedly used at compressor cylinder heads, valve covers, and piston-rod stuffing boxes. Compressor mechanics, insulators, and pipefitters allegedly cut, wrapped, and stripped the fabric jacket lagging during outages, releasing airborne asbestos fibers into pipeline station engine rooms.

CategoryGaskets

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