BorgWarner Incorporated

BorgWarner supplies parts of motor vehicles. Headquartered in Michigan, the company operates approximately 96 sites in 24 countries and employs around 50,000 workers. This data makes BorgWarner one of the 25 biggest motor vehicle parts suppliers. BorgWarner has faced many legal challenges over the years, however. Most notably, BorgWarner used asbestos in various products for several decades, which exposed its workers as well as many others to dangerous, cancer-causing carcinogens.

Following the merger of Warner Gear and Borg & Beck as well as two other companies, BorgWarner was founded in 1928. From the 1930s to the 1970s, the company gained a reputation as the supplier of Warner Gear overdrive units. BorgWarner also developed Ford’s Ford-O-Matic automatic transmissions among various other motor vehicle parts.

In 1971, BorgWarner temporarily began manufacturing brake pads that contained asbestos. BorgWarner continued producing brake pads containing asbestos in 1975. The company, however, made clutches with asbestos into the 1980s. In 1987, the company changed its title to BorgWarner Incorporated and Consolidated Subsidiaries.

BorgWarner dispersed its asbestos containing products to motor vehicle repair shops throughout the country. Besides motor vehicle repair workers, auto plant employees and individuals who worked in motor vehicle warehouses were also exposed to these products. People who perform repairs on their own vehicles were also exposed to asbestos-containing BorgWarner products.

BorgWarner has never filed for bankruptcy. Consequently, the company has also not yet established a trust to compensate the victims of asbestos exposure. Instead, people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other associated conditions due to exposure to asbestos-containing products manufactured by BorgWarner should pursue compensation directly from the company.

BorgWarner has been involved in thousands of asbestos lawsuits. Some of the most notable lawsuits involving asbestos exposure and BorgWarner include:

• In a 2010 case, a man argued that he developed mesothelioma following asbestos exposure due to the fault of various companies, including BorgWarner. Following a lower court ruling, California's Second Appellate District Court of Appeal overturned punitive damages awarded to the family and estate. The appellate court found that the plaintiffs in the case had failed to sufficiently explore the company's financial condition.
• In 2010, a New Jersey appellate court upheld the state’s largest mesothelioma asbestos exposure award. The underlying lawsuit in this case concerned the estate of a man who died from mesothelioma in 2002. The man’s wife initiated legal action on behalf of his estate against BorgWarner as well as other companies who participated in the manufacture or use of asbestos containing products.

If you or a loved one encountered prolonged or repeated exposure to a BorgWarner product containing asbestos and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, you should not hesitate to assert your rights as a victim. A skilled attorney at the Throneberry Law Group can fight for the results you deserve. Contact our law office today by either calling (888) 506-1131 or complete our online form.