Raytheon Company is one of the United States’ most important defense contractors. Its long history of manufacturing weapons and military electronics, special-mission aircraft, radar systems, and guided missiles made a significant difference in America’s capabilities. Still, many of those products were made using asbestos, a mineral that led to countless cases of malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Raytheon has been named as a defendant in many personal injury lawsuits.
Raytheon History and Asbestos
The Raytheon Company was founded by Laurence Marshall and Dr. Vannevar Bush in 1922, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Both men were noted engineers: Dr. Bush would later serve as dean of MIT’s School of Engineering and as science advisor to President Roosevelt during World War II. The men originally called their company the American Appliance Company, but renamed it when they created their signature invention: the Raytheon tube that made it possible for American homes to afford radios in their homes.[1]
Through the years, Raytheon continued to earn its reputation for innovation. The company’s chief engineer, Percy L. Spencer, found a way to mass produce magnetrons, the part of a radar system that emits a signal. These devices were desperately needed by the Allies, but before Spencer’s discovery, the company was only able to produce 17 per week. The shift in capabilities led to a patent and a contract with the U.S. Navy, and by 1945 Raytheon’s magnetrons were powering 80% of the radar and missile guidance systems in use by the Allied forces.[2]
The company’s innovations through the years led to the creation of Lark missiles capable of intercepting drones in flight, the first microwave oven, and the computer system that guided the astronauts to the moon. In the 1970s it began using a semiconductor that introduced lower-cost radar arrays that improved range, energy efficiency, and overall reliability, while at the same time, it was expanding into diverse industries including textbook publishing, industrial construction, and building aircraft.[1]
Through the years, the company acquired other technology businesses including E-Systems, Texas Instruments Defense, and Hughes Defense in support of its work with the U.S. military, and went on to develop the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System and the country’s early-warning radar systems.[1]
Raytheon Today
In recent years Raytheon made a significant move towards continuing its leading role in innovation by merging with United Technologies Corporation’s aerospace business division. The newly formed organization is the world’s largest aerospace company and is now called Raytheon Technologies. The company’s focus continues to be directed at avionics but also includes cybersecurity, directed energy, and electric propulsion. The company has invested $7.2 billion in research and development and holds 52,000 patents related to air travel, defense, and space technology.[1]
How Did Raytheon Use Asbestos?
The radar systems, guided missile systems, and other technical innovations that made Raytheon one of the country’s most prolific and important military suppliers were largely developed and produced in the years before asbestos was known to be a carcinogenic material. In the years from 1930 to 1980, the mineral was held in high regard for its strength and its ability to insulate against heat and flame, as well as to deaden sound.
Combining these characteristics with its accessibility and low cost made it a natural choice for defense contractors that provided equipment of all types, including Raytheon’s radar systems. It was used in electrical wiring systems, insulation, and the materials from which Raytheon’s innovative products were fabricated for decades.
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure?
Though asbestos is not considered a risk when it is intact, once it has been impacted by heat or wear and tear, or manipulated during installation or removal, maintenance, or repairs, it breaks down into microscopic fibers that are easily inhaled. This is the mechanism that has been linked to the development of malignant mesothelioma, as well as asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other serious illnesses.
In addition to Raytheon’s employees, who were exposed to asbestos in the company’s factories, the asbestos-containing products that Raytheon manufactured posed a significant risk for Air Force and Navy veterans, as well as civilian contractors who spent time on military bases. At particular risk were aircraft control and warning radar operators who worked and maintained the electric boards in radar towers and radio stations. Many Air Force radar stations were found to be heavily contaminated with asbestos, including the Burns Air Force Radar Station in Oregon.
Beyond the risk that Raytheon’s asbestos-containing products posed to those who worked directly with or in proximity to its products, those workers’ family members represent an additional group of potential victims, as the asbestos carried into their homes on their loved one’s hair, skin, and clothing led to deadly secondary exposure.
Asbestos Lawsuits Against Raytheon
There have been numerous asbestos lawsuits filed against Raytheon Company. These include:
- A claim was filed by Ronald S. Scearce against Raytheon and other companies that he accused of having exposed him to asbestos. In his claim, Mr. Scearce pointed to exposure to asbestos-containing products he had been exposed to while conducting electric repair work at various Air Force bases, as well as exposure to asbestos from communications equipment being installed and used during that same period.[3]
- The family of a Navy veteran who died from lung cancer sued Raytheon for negligently exposing him to asbestos when he worked with the company’s products from 1956 through 2020.[4]
- A Navy veteran diagnosed with lung cancer filed suit against Raytheon, alleging that he had been exposed to asbestos in the radar sets the company had manufactured, including the gaskets contained therein, that were used aboard the USS Independence from May 1964-May 1966 and the USS Lake Champlain from June 1966 to July 1967.
In its SEC Form 10-q filing related to Raytheon’s merger with United Technologies, the company dedicated several pages to what it titled “Asbestos Matters,” noting that it had been named as a defendant in lawsuits alleging personal injury as a result of exposure to asbestos integrated into some of its products or business premises.[5]
The report states, “A substantial majority of these asbestos-related claims have been dismissed without payment or were covered in full or in part by insurance or other forms of indemnity. Additional cases were litigated and settled without any insurance reimbursement.” It then goes on to estimate its total asbestos liabilities for pending and unasserted potential future asbestos claims through 2059 at approximately $325 million to $390 million.[5]
What to Do if You Were Exposed to Asbestos Through Raytheon
Exposure to Raytheon Company’s asbestos-containing products has already been linked to many personal injury claims. Because of the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases, it is anticipated that many more victims will be diagnosed over the next four decades. If you or someone you love has mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or any other asbestos illness and have a history of having worked with or around Raytheon products, an experienced asbestos attorney can explain your options and eligibility to file a claim for compensation for your damages.
