Michigan Refinery Asbestos Exposure has impacted thousands of workers across the state’s petroleum processing, chemical refining, and fuel distribution facilities. For decades, refineries in Detroit, Dearborn, River Rouge, and along the industrial corridors of Southeast Michigan relied heavily on asbestos-containing insulation, pipe covering, gaskets, packing, cement, and heat-resistant materials. These products were used on pipelines, boilers, reactors, compressors, distillation towers, and other high-temperature equipment. As a result, many refinery employees were never warned of the danger—and today face diagnoses of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases.
Mesothelioma/Asbestos Legal Help – WV, MI & PA
Speak directly with attorney Lee W. Davis. No call centers. Free, confidential review.
How Michigan Refinery Asbestos Exposure Occurred
Workers in refineries were especially vulnerable because asbestos was used for nearly every process involving heat or pressure. High-risk exposure pathways included:
- Insulation removal and replacement during shutdowns or turnarounds
- Gasket and flange work on pipelines and pump systems
- Maintenance on boilers, turbines, and furnaces lined with asbestos materials
- Repairs on distillation columns and cracking units that contained asbestos wraps and blocks
- Grinding, cutting, or scraping old asbestos insulation during routine maintenance
- Contractor and specialty workers brought in for outages or upgrades who disturbed asbestos without proper PPE
Michigan’s largest refineries—including Marathon Detroit, the former Total and Gulf facilities, and multiple distribution terminals—used asbestos products consistently through the 1980s.
👉Asbestos Job Sites in Michigan
Health Risks from Michigan Refinery Asbestos Exposure
Refinery workers face among the highest asbestos disease rates due to the intensity of industrial exposure. Diseases linked to refinery asbestos include:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Asbestosis
- Pleural thickening
- Other occupational cancers
Most diagnoses occur 30 to 50 years after exposure, meaning today’s Michigan cases often trace back to refinery work performed in the 1960s through the 1990s.
Why an Attorney Matters for Refinery Exposure Cases
Asbestos cases involving Michigan refineries require knowledge of:
- The specific asbestos-containing products used in refinery operations
- The contractors, insulation companies, and equipment manufacturers responsible
- Historic refinery layouts and job assignments
- How to file claims through asbestos trust funds and litigation
Attorney Lee W. Davis has decades of experience handling complex industrial asbestos cases across Michigan, including representing workers from auto plants, foundries, steel mills, and petroleum refining operations. His background working on thousands of GM Saginaw foundry cases (1996–1999) strengthens the foundation of Michigan-based industrial exposure claims.
Compensation for Michigan Refinery Asbestos Exposure
Workers may qualify for:
- Payment from asbestos bankruptcy trust funds
- Claims against equipment or insulation manufacturers
- Wrongful death compensation for families
- Settlements for mesothelioma and lung cancer
Even if a refinery changed ownership, merged, or shut down, claims are still possible.
Free Michigan Consultation
If you or a loved one worked in a Michigan refinery and later developed mesothelioma or lung cancer, legal help is available.
📞 Call (412) 781-0525
Free, confidential consultation.
FAQs – Michigan Refinery Asbestos Exposure
1. Which Michigan refineries used asbestos?
Facilities in Detroit, Dearborn, River Rouge, and other industrial hubs used asbestos insulation, gaskets, pipe covering, and heat-resistant materials well into the 1980s.
2. Does a refinery worker need to know which asbestos products they used?
No. An experienced attorney can identify likely product manufacturers based on the era, unit, job duty, and refinery structure.
3. Can refinery contractors file asbestos claims?
Yes. Pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, mechanics, and other contractors often faced the same or greater exposure during outages and turnaround work.
4. Are claims still possible if the refinery has closed or changed ownership?
Yes. Many responsible companies established asbestos trust funds that still pay valid claims today.