The American Optical Corporation refers to itself as the “oldest and greatest optical company in American history,[1] but in addition to manufacturing eyewear, the company’s history includes having manufactured respiratory devices and safety clothing to shield against asbestos exposure. Multiple lawsuits have been filed against American Optical, citing failures of the respiratory devices and contamination of the protective clothing for having caused their asbestos-related illnesses.
American Optical Corporation History and Asbestos
American Optical Company’s long history and stellar reputation as an innovative eyeglass manufacturer dates back to 1833, when William Beecher set up a jewelry and watch business in a shop in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and decided to try making silver spectacles similar to a pair he’d seen from England. From those beginnings, he moved from employing seven men who made one frame per man per day to making the first thin steel spectacles in 1943 and making almost 15,000 pairs in 1852.[2]
By the time Beecher retired, the company had changed hands and processes several times, incorporating mass production improvements that allowed the company to grow and merge with another to form the American Optical Company in 1869. The company’s activity transformed Southbridge from a textile mill town to an optical manufacturing town, with the company making 1.5 million pairs of spectacles and employing 400 people by 1887. Five years later it was the largest optical company in the world, producing two million pairs of spectacles and eyeglasses and three million pairs of lenses with a workforce of 800 people.[2]
Over the years, the company was granted numerous patents for its innovations in lenses and glass formulations and was awarded numerous military contracts. During World War I, the company manufactured aviator goggles, machinery equipment for base hospitals and mobile units, and optical components for telescopes used in submarines, tanks, and airplanes. The company later entered the scientific precision instrument field, providing parts for microscopes and medical devices. During World War II the company again provided glasses, sunglasses, and goggles for the military, as well as safety products and glass prosthetic eyes.[2]
By the 1950s, the company’s expansion and acquisitions led to it manufacturing widely diverse products including missile tracking devices, microscopes, film projection parts, and fiber optics. The company also began manufacturing safety clothing, including gloves for use in high heat and friction workplaces and respirators and masks to protect workers in occupations that exposed them to dust particles.[2] The gloves were made with asbestos-containing fabric that broke down upon use, and the respirators were found to be defective: Both issues allowed microscopic asbestos to be inhaled. These defects led to many workers being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.
In 1967, American Optical was purchased by Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical, which was itself purchased by Pfizer, Inc. in 2000. In 2004, Pfizer’s report for the June quarter reported that the Warner-Lambert unit still faced about 139,100 asbestos suits related to American Optical.[3]
How Did American Optical Corporation Use Asbestos?
American Optical Corporation used asbestos in multiple ways over the years. In its manufacturing plants, American Optical’s workers were exposed to significant amounts of the carcinogenic material that was used in the glassmaking process, including in the material that insulated the plant’s furnaces and molds, the protective clothing and equipment that they wore to protect them from the red-hot glass they were producing, and the asbestos insulation that was used on the factory’s construction materials, furnaces, and other high-heat machinery.
The company also manufactured asbestos-contaminated protective gloves, which it sold for use in high-heat and friction environments, as well as respirators and masks that purportedly protected workers from toxic dust that they were exposed to in the workplace. Some of its respirators used asbestos-containing filters manufactured by other companies.
American Optical Corporation Products Linked to Asbestos-Related Diseases
The following products manufactured and sold by American Optical Corporation have been cited in personal injury lawsuits seeking compensation for asbestos-related diseases.
- Gloves
- Aprons
- Towels
- Respirators and masks bearing the following model numbers: R2090, R3030, R5055, R5090, R6030, R8100, R8155, R9055
Who Was at Risk for Asbestos Exposure from American Optical Products?
The risk of asbestos exposure linked to American Optical Corporation begins with employees who worked within the walls of its manufacturing facilities and extends to those who provided maintenance and repair services to the company’s equipment and machinery. Beyond American Optical workers, workers in a wide range of trades and occupations relied on the company’s personal protective equipment, from those who wore its gloves and aprons to protect themselves from heat and friction to those who wore its masks and respirators expecting that they would filter out harmful particles. Finally, family members of anybody who worked with asbestos were at risk of secondary exposure to asbestos carried home on their hair, skin, or clothing.
Individuals in each of these categories of potential victims were at risk of breathing in the microscopic particles of asbestos that, once inhaled or ingested, can become embedded in the lining cells of the lungs and abdomen and eventually cause cell death and cell mutation into the deadly tumors of malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. Asbestos exposure can also cause asbestosis, COPD, and other pleural diseases.
Workers who used American Optical products included:
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Demolition workers
- Engravers
- Foundry workers
- Glass cutters
- Grinders
- HVAC workers
- Industrial workers
- Insulators
- Machine operators
- Machinists
- Miners
- Pipefitters
- Plumbers
- Seamen
- Steel mill workers
- Welders
Asbestos Lawsuits Against American Optical Corporation
American Optical Corporation has been named as a defendant in thousands of personal injury lawsuits filed by those sickened by asbestos in American Optical’s products or that victims inhaled or ingested due to the failure of American Optical respirators. Some notable lawsuits include:
- William and Becky Tyler filed a lawsuit against American Optical after he was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The suit cited his exposure to asbestos while working at a foundry where he’d worn and relied upon the company’s respirator to protect him. After a one-month trial, a California jury awarded the couple $22 million in compensatory damages and an additional $10 million in punitive damages.
- Charles Porter filed a lawsuit against the company after he was diagnosed with asbestosis. He had worked as an employee of the National Gypsum Company and had used an American Optical Corporation respirator and filter apparatus to protect him from inhaling asbestos fibers. He died of his illness and his family was substituted as plaintiffs. In 1981, the family was awarded damages of $155,000.[4]
- Donald Maclachlan’s personal injury lawsuit blamed asbestos in American Optical Corporation’s protective clothing for his malignant mesothelioma. In his deposition testimony, he discussed the years he worked as a cast house helper in a steel plant, wearing thermal protective coats and gloves, protective leggings, and hoods that were provided by the company.
- In a case currently making its way through the New York Asbestos Litigation Courts, the family of Giacinto Pira is seeking compensation for the damages he suffered after having relied on the company’s asbestos gloves during his work as a seaman for the Italian Line.
What to Do if You Were Exposed to American Optical Asbestos Products or Respirators
American Optical Corporation’s asbestos-containing personal protective equipment and respirators were used by tens of thousands of workers during the mid-to-late twentieth century. Many of those individuals have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases, and there are likely many more who will begin to experience symptoms in the years to come. The physical challenges associated with mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer are extreme, and so are the emotional and financial burdens.
If you have been diagnosed with one of these illnesses following the use of American Optical products, you may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit seeking compensation for the damages you’ve suffered. An experienced asbestos attorney will be an invaluable resource in providing you with information about the options available.
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