Mesothelioma Lawyer Indiana: Asbestos Exposure at Dana Inc. — Angola, Indiana

Filing Deadline: Indiana’s 2-year Statute of Limitations

If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you have 2 years from the date of diagnosis, as established under Ind. Code § 34-20-3-1. That deadline is absolute. Miss it and your right to compensation disappears permanently, regardless of how strong your case is.

Indiana courts also recognize separate claims for wrongful death and property damage. Each carries its own deadline. An experienced asbestos attorney indiana can identify every claim available to you and make sure none expire before you act.

Contact us today. The consultation is free and confidential. Your deadline may be closer than you think.

If You Worked at Dana Angola: What You Need to Know

Workers at Dana Inc.’s Angola, Indiana facility may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials during manufacturing, maintenance, construction, and equipment repair. Asbestos causes mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis — diseases that take 10 to 50 years to develop after exposure. Workers who left the plant decades ago are only now receiving diagnoses.

This page covers what products were reportedly present at the facility, which trades may have been exposed, and what legal options exist for workers and family members — particularly those residing in Indiana. If you worked at Dana Angola or handled asbestos-containing materials there, speaking with a mesothelioma lawyer indiana is the most important call you can make right now.

Facility History and Operations

Dana Incorporated — formerly Dana Corporation and Spicer Manufacturing — operated an automotive drivetrain and component manufacturing facility in Angola, Indiana (Steuben County) for decades. Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Maumee, Ohio, Dana became one of the largest drivetrain and sealing product suppliers to American automakers and commercial vehicle manufacturers.

Dana’s historical product lines included:

Universal joints and driveshafts (Spicer brand)
Axles and differentials
Gaskets and sealing products (Victor Reinz and Fel-Pro brands)
Transmission and clutch components
Engine components and cylinder head products

The Angola facility reportedly focused on drivetrain components and automotive parts manufacturing. The plant underwent construction, renovation, and expansion during the decades when asbestos-containing materials were standard in American industrial construction — meaning the building itself, its mechanical systems, and many of the products manufactured there may have contained asbestos-containing materials.

Dana Incorporated filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2008, citing legacy asbestos litigation stemming from its manufacture and distribution of gaskets, friction products, and other components that allegedly contained asbestos-containing materials. That bankruptcy filing created the Dana Asbestos Personal Injury Trust — one of dozens of compensation funds available to eligible workers and their families through an Asbestos Indiana claim.

Why Asbestos Was Used at Manufacturing Facilities

Asbestos was not used carelessly — it was used deliberately because no synthetic material matched its properties at the price:

Heat resistance — withstands temperatures exceeding 1,000°F
Electrical insulation — used in motors, wiring, and electrical panels
Tensile strength — stronger than steel by weight
Chemical resistance — resists acids, alkalis, and industrial solvents
Sound dampening — used in flooring, ceiling tiles, and equipment housings
Friction performance — consistent, heat-resistant behavior in brake linings and clutch facings
Low cost — inexpensive to mine and process at scale

For a drivetrain manufacturer like Dana, these properties were not incidental — they were central to the product. Gaskets seal against high temperatures and chemical exposure. Friction products absorb intense heat. Equipment insulation protects workers and infrastructure. Asbestos was built into the facility and built into the product line.

What the Industry Knew — and When

Scientific research linking asbestos exposure to lung disease dates to the 1930s. Internal documents produced in litigation show that major asbestos manufacturers — including Johns-Manville Corporation, Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning Fiberglas, and Eagle-Picher Industries — are alleged to have known of these dangers for decades while continuing to market asbestos-containing products without adequate warnings to the workers who handled them every day.

Asbestos-containing materials remained standard in American manufacturing through the 1970s and into the 1980s, until OSHA and EPA regulatory action began phasing out most applications. By then, the damage had been done.

Timeline of Asbestos Presence at Dana Angola

Pre-1970s: Peak Use

From the facility’s construction through the early 1970s, asbestos-containing materials were reportedly present in the largest quantities:

Building construction and ongoing renovations allegedly incorporated asbestos-containing insulation — including reportedly Johns-Manville Kaylo, Owens-Illinois Thermobestos, and Armstrong Aircell thermal insulation products — along with fireproofing, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roofing, and pipe coverings
Manufacturing equipment was routinely insulated with asbestos-containing thermal products, including pre-formed calcium silicate and magnesia-based systems
Gaskets, packing materials, and sealing compounds containing asbestos-containing materials were standard components — including products from Garlock Sealing Technologies, Crane Co., and Dana’s own Fel-Pro and Victor Reinz subsidiaries
Maintenance workers on equipment, boilers, and piping systems reportedly handled asbestos-containing materials as a matter of routine

1970s: Regulatory Transition

OSHA’s creation in 1970 and early EPA actions established limits on occupational asbestos exposure. Enforcement was gradual and uneven. Asbestos-containing materials already installed at facilities like the Angola plant remained in place, continuing to pose exposure risks during maintenance, renovation, and repair work that disturbed those materials. Regulatory limits on new installations did nothing to protect workers from the asbestos already embedded in the building around them.

1980s and Beyond: Continuing Legacy Exposures

As new asbestos installations declined, existing asbestos in buildings and equipment remained — and workers disturbing it remained at risk. Workers performing the following activities may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials during this period:

Equipment overhauls and maintenance on older machinery
Facility renovations involving asbestos-containing floor tiles, ceiling systems, and wall materials
Demolition of older facility sections
Routine pipe fitting, gasket replacement — including removal of asbestos-containing compressed fiber gasket material and asbestos-containing rope packing — and insulation work

Dana’s own product lines — specifically Victor Reinz and Fel-Pro gaskets and sealing products — are alleged to have contained asbestos-containing materials. Workers who handled, cut, machined, or installed these products may have been exposed to asbestos fibers released during those activities.

Who Worked at Dana Angola and May Have Been Exposed

Asbestos exposure at this facility was not limited to one trade or one department. Multiple crafts encountered asbestos-containing materials during ordinary work. Many workers were members of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 1 (St. Louis, MO), Plumbers and Pipefitters UA Local 562 (St. Louis, MO), and Boilermakers Local 27 (St. Louis, MO), among other craft union locals. If you were a member of one of these unions and worked at Dana Angola, an asbestos cancer lawyer Indianapolis can evaluate your claim.

Insulators and Insulation Workers

Insulation workers and members of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 1 may have reportedly:

Applied asbestos-containing pipe covering, block insulation — including allegedly Kaylo and Thermobestos products — and blanket systems to steam lines, process pipes, and equipment
Mixed and applied asbestos-containing cements and plasters on-site, generating concentrated airborne fiber releases
Removed and replaced deteriorating asbestos-containing insulation during maintenance outages
Worked with raw asbestos-containing materials in conditions that generated sustained airborne fiber concentrations

Of all the trades present at industrial facilities during this era, insulators typically received the highest and most sustained asbestos exposures.

Pipefitters and Plumbers

Workers from Plumbers and Pipefitters UA Local 562 and other locals on steam, process, and utility systems may have reportedly:

Cut and installed compressed asbestos fiber gaskets — including allegedly Garlock Sealing Technologies and Crane Co. products — to seal pipe flanges and pump connections
Worked on and around asbestos-covered piping systems, disturbing insulation during pipe access and repair
Used asbestos-containing thread compounds and pipe dope for sealing pipe connections
Worked alongside insulators in confined spaces where fiber concentrations from Johns-Manville and Owens-Illinois insulation systems were reportedly elevated

Boilermakers

The facility’s boiler systems reportedly incorporated asbestos-containing materials throughout their construction. Boilermakers may have been exposed while:

Repairing and rebuilding boilers lined with asbestos-containing refractory and insulating materials — including allegedly Armstrong and Celotex products
Replacing asbestos-containing rope gaskets, door gaskets, and packing on boiler access points
Working in boiler rooms where disturbed asbestos-containing insulation reportedly created elevated fiber concentrations
Performing annual overhauls requiring entry into boiler interiors lined with allegedly Johns-Manville Kaylo or similar products

Electricians

Electricians faced asbestos exposure risks that are frequently underestimated and undercompensated:

Electrical conduit ran through spaces with asbestos-insulated piping and equipment — including systems allegedly incorporating Aircell and Monokote fireproofing materials
Electrical panels, switchgear, and wiring of the era sometimes incorporated asbestos-containing insulation and arc-flash barriers
Pulling wire through walls, ceilings, and floors disturbed asbestos-containing fireproofing, floor tiles — including allegedly Gold Bond and Pabco products — and ceiling materials
Electricians regularly shared enclosed work spaces with other trades generating asbestos dust, creating bystander exposure on top of direct exposure

Maintenance Mechanics and Millwrights

General maintenance workers encountered asbestos-containing materials across nearly every area of the plant:

Replaced asbestos-containing gaskets and packing on pumps, valves, and machinery — including allegedly Garlock Sealing Technologies, Crane Co., and Combustion Engineering components
Worked on clutches, brakes, and friction components that may have contained asbestos-containing materials from Dana’s own product lines
Disturbed asbestos-containing floor tiles, ceiling tiles, and wall materials during routine repairs
Were present during equipment overhauls where asbestos-containing materials were disturbed by other trades

Production and Assembly Workers

Production floor workers may also have been exposed, particularly those who:

Worked near machining operations involving Fel-Pro and Victor Reinz asbestos-containing gaskets or other Dana components
Were present in areas where maintenance and insulation work was generating airborne fibers
Handled finished or semi-finished products that allegedly contained asbestos-containing materials

Supervisors and Foremen

Supervisors overseeing insulation, pipefitting, and maintenance crews were routinely present in the same areas where asbestos-containing materials were being disturbed. Courts have consistently recognized that supervisory personnel may have experienced comparable exposure levels to the workers they directed. If you supervised these trades at Dana Angola, you have the same right to pursue a claim.

Secondary and Take-Home Exposure

Family members of Dana Angola workers may also have been exposed to asbestos. Workers carried asbestos fibers home on clothing, hair, and skin — fibers that became airborne again when contaminated clothes were handled, shaken, or laundered. Spouses who did nothing more than wash a worker’s clothes have been diagnosed with mesothelioma decades later. Children who sat on a parent’s lap after a shift were exposed. This exposure pathway is legally recognized and has supported successful claims. An asbestos attorney indiana can evaluate whether family members have viable claims in their own right.

Asbestos-Containing Products Reportedly Present at Dana Angola

Based on operations at the Angola facility and the documented record of products used in comparable industrial manufacturing environments, the following categories of asbestos-containing materials were reportedly present:

Pipe and Equipment Insulation

Pre-formed calcium sil