Was Dresser-Rand — Reciprocating compressor asbestos documented in litigation?

Dresser-Rand — Reciprocating 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 Dresser-Rand — Reciprocating compressor asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Dresser-Rand — Reciprocating 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-Packing

Dresser-Rand reciprocating gas compressor asbestos-packed piston-rod seals, cylinder-head gaskets, and valve-cover gaskets

⚖ Litigation Record1950s-1990sBraided asbestos packing and asbestos-loaded rod-seal rings allegedly installed at Dresser-Rand reciprocating compressor piston-rod stuffing boxes and distance pieces; compressed asbestos sheet gaskets allegedly installed at cylinder heads, suction and discharge valve covers, and unloader housings. Compressor mechanics, millwrights, and pipefitters allegedly repacked the rod seals and scraped/re-installed cylinder-head gaskets during scheduled valve-and-packing changes at gas plants, refineries, and pipeline compressor stations.

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Dresser-Rand (successor to Dresser Industries’ Clark-Dresser reciprocating compressor line and Ingersoll-Rand’s Painted Post reciprocating heritage) allegedly supplied large horizontal reciprocating gas and process compressors to natural-gas pipeline compressor stations, gas processing plants, refineries, and chemical facilities. Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Dresser-Rand reciprocating compressor piston-rod stuffing boxes were originally packed with braided asbestos rope or asbestos-loaded rod-seal rings, and that compressed asbestos sheet gaskets were installed at cylinder heads, suction and discharge valve covers, distance pieces, and unloader housings.

Reciprocating compressor “valve and packing” changes were routine maintenance — often on a fixed calendar interval — and each event allegedly required the rod-seal packing to be pulled and repacked and every cylinder-cover and valve-cover gasket to be scraped free of its mating surface before a fresh asbestos gasket was cut and installed. The frame distance pieces, in which the packing sits, concentrated packing debris in a location that mechanics reached into with bare hands.

Workers Exposed

Compressor mechanics at pipeline compressor stations and gas plants performing scheduled valve-and-packing changes on Dresser-Rand frames.
Millwrights rigging cylinders, frames, and coupling components during major Dresser-Rand overhauls.
Pipefitters (UA) breaking suction, discharge, and fuel-gas piping into Dresser-Rand compressor cylinders.
Machinists re-babbitting crossheads, honing cylinders, and rebuilding rod-packing cases.
Instrument fitters working associated pulsation-bottle and control tubing during outages.

Bystanders in the compressor building were exposed to airborne fibers released by packing removal, gasket scraping, and sweep-up of asbestos debris after each valve-change round.

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If You Worked at Dresser-Rand

If you or a family member worked at Dresser-Rand 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 NameDresser-Rand reciprocating gas compressor asbestos-packed piston-rod seals, cylinder-head gaskets, and valve-cover gaskets

Years Produced1950s-1990s

Asbestos ContentBraided asbestos packing and asbestos-loaded rod-seal rings allegedly installed at Dresser-Rand reciprocating compressor piston-rod stuffing boxes and distance pieces; compressed asbestos sheet gaskets allegedly installed at cylinder heads, suction and discharge valve covers, and unloader housings. Compressor mechanics, millwrights, and pipefitters allegedly repacked the rod seals and scraped/re-installed cylinder-head gaskets during scheduled valve-and-packing changes at gas plants, refineries, and pipeline compressor stations.

CategoryGaskets-Packing Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Compressor MechanicsMillwrightsPipefittersMachinistsInstrument Fitters

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Quick Reference

Years1950s-1990s

AsbestosBraided asbestos packing and asbestos-loaded rod-seal rings allegedly installed at Dresser-Rand reciprocating compressor piston-rod stuffing boxes and distance pieces; compressed asbestos sheet gaskets allegedly installed at cylinder heads, suction and discharge valve covers, and unloader housings. Compressor mechanics, millwrights, and pipefitters allegedly repacked the rod seals and scraped/re-installed cylinder-head gaskets during scheduled valve-and-packing changes at gas plants, refineries, and pipeline compressor stations.

CategoryGaskets-Packing

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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.

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