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John Crane

The John Crane Company manufactured and sold asbestos products for nearly a half-century, long after it knew of the dangers and without warning workers or customers. The company continues to refuse to accept responsibility to this day, but The Lanier Law Firm is committed to ensuring companies like John Crane answer for their wrongdoing.

Case Dam

Legally Reviewed By: Case A. Dam
Senior Attorney | Mesothelioma & Asbestos

Case Dam

Legally Reviewed By: Case A. Dam
Senior Attorney | Mesothelioma & Asbestos

John Crane was founded in 1917 in Chicago, seven years after its founder of the same name earned his first three industrial seal patents. The company expanded into England until the English operations were sold to Tube Investments, and TI Group was created.

In 1987, TI Group acquired John Crane’s U.S. operations, and the reunited company continued to do business as John Crane. In 2000, TI Group merged with the London-based technology company Smith’s Industries. John Crane is Smith’s Industries’ largest subsidiary, headquartered in Chicago.

Today, John Crane offers technology, asset management, repair, and maintenance services and touts itself as a business leader that cares about people. However, from its inception until the late 1970s, John Crane used asbestos in its products and concealed its dangers from workers and customers.

John Crane refuses to take responsibility for the harm it has caused, but The Lanier Law Firm’s mesothelioma lawyers work to force asbestos companies to take responsibility and financially compensate those they have harmed.

Products Manufactured by John Crane

The Circuit Court of Cook County found that John Crane manufactured asbestos products from the 1930s until 1985. These products included the following:

  • Braided asbestos made from chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos
  • Gaskets
  • Hydraulic packings
  • Rope packings and gaskets
  • Asbestos yarn
  • Asbestos tape

When did John Crane become aware that asbestos was dangerous?

Although the company claims it did not know about the dangers of asbestos until 1970, the evidence suggests John Crane knew much sooner. The U.S. government and asbestos industry leaders were aware of the risks at least as early as 1964 when Dr. Selikoff, a preeminent asbestos researcher, conducted a national conference on the subject, according to the Circuit Court of Cook County.

As early as 1918, just one year after John Crane commenced business, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publicly reported that exposure to asbestos products resulted in disease. In England, where John Crane also maintained headquarters, this was discovered even earlier, in 1898.

By 1936, the Illinois state legislature began providing compensation to workers exposed to asbestos and acknowledged that it was a harmful product. In the unlikely scenario that John Crane did not know of the dangers of asbestos prior to this, it reasonably should have become aware at this time.

Claims that the company only learned about the dangers of asbestos in 1970 are consistent with an intentional cover-up based on the findings of the Chatham County Court in Georgia. The court found in this case that John Crane destroyed sales records from 1970 to 1977, an action the court ruled was in bad faith.

During this period, the court found that John Crane manufactured at least 200 asbestos-containing products, 35 to 40 of which contained one of the more hazardous forms of asbestos, crocidolite.

Even if the company had learned about the dangers of asbestos as late as 1970, it would still be responsible for knowingly producing a harmful product for more than a decade, as the company continued producing asbestos products until 1985.

Occupations Affected by John Crane Asbestos Products

John Crane asbestos adversely affected its own workers as well as the workers of companies that purchased its products. John Crane also sold packing and gaskets to the U.S. government and the Navy, according to the findings in Pfeifer v. John Crane.

Workers who may have been exposed to John Crane asbestos include the following:

  • Aviation workers
  • Electricians
  • Engineers
  • Factory workers
  • Machinists
  • Maintenance and repair workers
  • Military personnel, especially the Navy
  • Power plant workers
  • Railroad workers
  • Shipyard workers

Most of John Crane’s victims were exposed to asbestos while in the line of duty. In some cases, workers may have taken asbestos home on their clothing and exposed family members.

Is there an asbestos trust fund for John Crane
mesothelioma and lung cancer victims?

John Crane has not set up a trust fund. An asbestos trust fund is established when a company files for bankruptcy under Chapter 11. John Crane has remained solvent and continues to sell similar products. Today, these products are asbestos-free.

How can I obtain compensation for asbestos exposure caused by John Crane?

When a company remains solvent, your options for obtaining mesothelioma compensation are more diverse. You may be able to obtain compensation through the following:

  • Workers’ compensation
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs
  • A civil lawsuit

Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation allows injured workers to obtain free medical care and monthly disability benefits. If you qualify for workers’ compensation, you generally will not be able to sue the employer.

However, if your employer was a company other than John Crane, you may be able to file a lawsuit against John Crane as the party who sold the products to your employer.

VA Claims

If you were exposed to John Crane asbestos while serving in the military, you may qualify for VA benefits. The VA explicitly acknowledges its liability for service-connected asbestos exposure claims. This may make you eligible for the highest level of free VA care without co-pays and a high disability rating, which results in a larger monthly benefit.

In addition to a VA claim, you may also have grounds for a civil lawsuit against John Crane for your exposure while in the military.

Asbestos Exposure Lawsuit

Filing an asbestos exposure lawsuit can result in obtaining substantial compensation for your exposure to John Crane asbestos. You may be able to recover economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.

Economic Damages
Economic damages are the monetary harm caused by your injuries. These are also known as special damages. These damages include your medical expenses and lost wages, including lost future wages.
If you do not work, economic damages can also include the value of domestic services you are no longer able to provide for yourself or your family.

Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are subjective losses to your quality of life. They are sometimes known as general damages. These include pain and suffering and related losses, such as the following:

  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of society
  • Loss of bodily functions


Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are considered rare and are reserved for cases when the conduct of the defendant was deliberate, willful, or grossly negligent. Fraudulent concealment is also grounds for punitive damages, and this can be demonstrated in a case against John Crane.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit

If a member of your immediate family has passed away because of an asbestos-related illness, you may have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit. A wrongful death lawsuit allows you to claim similar damages for which the deceased would have qualified had they lived, as well as damages relating to the death and its effects on the family.

The specific damages you can claim vary by jurisdiction, but may include the following:

  • Pain and suffering of the deceased and/or the family
  • Loss of companionship
  • Loss of guidance or support
  • Projected lifetime income that has been lost
  • Burial expenses
  • Punitive damages

Will my John Crane lawsuit settle?

John Crane has a well-known reputation for refusing to settle cases regardless of merit. This means you will need an experienced mesothelioma law firm that is unafraid to take cases to trial.

The Lanier Law Firm has a nationwide reputation for obtaining remarkable verdicts against asbestos companies that refuse to take responsibility for the harm they have caused.

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When should I contact a mesothelioma lawyer for a claim against John Crane?

Every jurisdiction has a statute of limitations, which limits the amount of time you have to file a mesothelioma claim. In some jurisdictions, you only have one year from the date of your diagnosis.

Before your case can be filed, our attorneys will need to perform tasks that can take substantial time, such as the following:

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Contact The Lanier Law Firm Today

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness after being exposed to John Crane asbestos, it is important that you contact a reputable law firm that is experienced in mesothelioma cases. These cases require specialized knowledge, especially when dealing with companies like John Crane who refuse to settle.

Having seen firsthand the devastating impact of asbestos-related diseases, our attorneys are determined to get justice. We cannot restore health, but we can help you alleviate the resulting financial strain.

John Crane is willing to go to great lengths to evade liability, but we are willing to go to even greater lengths to hold them accountable. We have defeated John Crane in court in the past, and we know what it takes to get a favorable John Crane asbestos exposure verdict

The Lanier Law Firm accepts cases throughout the United States. Contact us today to talk to a mesothelioma lawyer.

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