Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Asbestos Exposure: Gaskets, Aircraft Brakes & Claims
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has a well-documented asbestos litigation history involving products it manufactured and alleged exposure at company facilities. Goodyear’s 2025 Form 10-K states that the company manufactured rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket materials from 1914 through 1973 and aircraft brake assemblies containing asbestos materials prior to 1987. The company also faces premises claims from some independent contractors or their employees who allege exposure to asbestos while working at Goodyear facilities.
Goodyear remains an operating company and continues to report asbestos litigation directly in its SEC filings. At December 31, 2025, Goodyear reported approximately 30,400 pending asbestos claimants. It had disposed of approximately 167,000 claims over time by defending them, obtaining dismissals or entering settlements. These portfolio figures are not individual settlement values. Research for this page did not identify a dedicated Goodyear §524(g) asbestos bankruptcy trust, so no Trust Payment Percentage or Scheduled Values are invented.
🏢 Goodyear History & Asbestos Litigation
Goodyear was founded in Akron, Ohio in 1898 and became a major tire and rubber-products manufacturer. Its asbestos history extends beyond tires: the company’s own SEC disclosures specifically identify historical asbestos sheet-gasket materials and aircraft braking systems. Product and premises claims must therefore be distinguished from ordinary tire work.
| Topic | Confirmed / carefully qualified information |
|---|---|
| Company | The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. |
| Founded | 1898, Akron, Ohio. |
| Historical asbestos product | Rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket materials. |
| Gasket manufacturing period | 1914–1973, according to Goodyear’s 2025 Form 10-K. |
| Historical aviation product | Aircraft brake assemblies containing asbestos materials. |
| Aircraft-brake period | Prior to 1987. |
| Premises allegations | Some contractors/employees allege asbestos exposure at Goodyear facilities. |
| Current status | Operating public company. |
| Dedicated Goodyear §524(g) trust | Not identified. |
Asbestos Litigation Timeline
| Period | Development |
|---|---|
| 1914 | SEC disclosure states Goodyear began manufacturing rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket materials. |
| 1969 | New York court record cites evidence that U.S. compressed-asbestos sheet-gasket production ended around 1969. |
| 1973 | SEC disclosure gives 1973 as the end of Goodyear rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket manufacturing; court evidence says Goodyear Canada continued compressed-sheet production until 1973. |
| Before 1987 | Goodyear manufactured aircraft brake assemblies containing asbestos materials. |
| 2003 | Goodyear reported about 25,300 asbestos cases disposed of and accrued liability/gross payments totaling about $208 million through year-end. |
| 2022 | Goodyear reported approximately 157,600 claims disposed of and accrued asbestos liability/gross payments totaling $570 million through year-end. |
| 2025 | Goodyear reported 30,400 pending claimants at year-end and approximately 167,000 claims disposed of over time. |
| 2026 filing | 2025 Form 10-K continues to report active asbestos litigation. |
⚙️ Goodyear Asbestos Products
Goodyear’s SEC filings provide unusually clear product dates. The principal company-manufactured asbestos products identified are rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket materials and aircraft brake assemblies containing asbestos materials. Published New York litigation separately discusses compressed asbestos sheet gaskets carrying the Goodyear name.
| Product / category | Evidence-based treatment |
|---|---|
| Rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket material | Goodyear SEC filings confirm manufacture from 1914 through 1973. |
| Compressed asbestos sheet gaskets | Documented in New York asbestos litigation. |
| Aircraft brake assemblies | SEC filings confirm asbestos-containing assemblies manufactured prior to 1987. |
| Aircraft brake components | Exact aircraft, assembly and date require product-specific evidence. |
| Facility asbestos | Claims also allege asbestos present at certain Goodyear facilities. |
| Tires | Do not characterize ordinary Goodyear tires as asbestos products based on these disclosures. |
| Automotive brakes | Do not automatically attribute asbestos automotive brake products to Goodyear; strongest SEC evidence is aircraft brakes. |
| Modern products | Historical asbestos evidence should not be generalized to current Goodyear products. |
Product Accuracy Rules
| Statement | Accurate treatment |
|---|---|
| Goodyear manufactured asbestos sheet gasket materials | Confirmed. |
| Goodyear manufactured asbestos-containing aircraft brake assemblies | Confirmed. |
| Goodyear tires were asbestos-containing because Goodyear had asbestos litigation | Not established. |
| Every Goodyear gasket contained asbestos | No. |
| Every aircraft brake attributed to Goodyear contained asbestos | Requires model/date evidence. |
| Current Goodyear products contain asbestos | Do not infer this. |
👷 Workers & Jobsites at Risk
Potential exposure groups differ by product. Gasket users could include plumbers, pipefitters, mechanics and industrial workers who cut or removed sheet gasket material. Aircraft mechanics could encounter qualifying historical Goodyear brake assemblies. Contractors working at Goodyear facilities have also alleged premises exposure.
| Worker / occupation | Potential historical activity |
|---|---|
| Aircraft mechanics | Removing/replacing qualifying Goodyear aircraft brake assemblies. |
| Aircraft maintenance personnel | Brake inspections, cleaning and overhaul. |
| Plumbers / pipefitters | Cutting and installing asbestos sheet gasket material. |
| Industrial mechanics | Removing and fabricating gaskets. |
| Maintenance workers | Equipment/flange gasket work. |
| Independent contractors | Premises exposure alleged at certain Goodyear facilities. |
| Goodyear facility workers | Potential facility/product exposure depending on job and period. |
| Nearby workers | Potential bystander exposure where qualifying asbestos material was disturbed. |
Potential Exposure Settings
| Setting | Evidence to investigate |
|---|---|
| Aircraft maintenance facilities | Aircraft type, brake assembly and supplier records. |
| Industrial plants | Gasket brands, piping/equipment and work orders. |
| Goodyear facilities | Jobsite, department, dates and contractor records. |
| Plumbing jobsites | Sheet-gasket identification and coworker testimony. |
| Maintenance shops | Invoices, catalogs and product packaging. |
| Military aviation settings | Aircraft model, service records and exact brake manufacturer. |
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🌫️ How Goodyear Asbestos Exposure Occurred
Historical sheet-gasket work could generate dust when workers cut, fabricated, scraped or removed asbestos-containing material. Aircraft brake service could disturb friction dust where the specific Goodyear assembly contained asbestos. Product identification remains essential: a federal aircraft-brake decision granted Goodyear partial summary judgment where the claimant’s evidence did not reliably establish exposure to a Goodyear asbestos-containing brake on the aircraft at issue.
| Activity | Potential pathway |
|---|---|
| Cutting sheet gasket | Mechanical cutting of qualifying asbestos sheet material. |
| Fabricating gaskets | Handling/cutting compressed or rubber-coated asbestos sheet. |
| Removing old gaskets | Scraping adhered gasket residue. |
| Aircraft brake replacement | Potential disturbance of qualifying asbestos friction material. |
| Brake cleaning | Can disturb accumulated friction dust. |
| Facility maintenance | Potential contact with asbestos materials present at historical facilities. |
| Sweeping / cleanup | Can re-suspend settled dust. |
| Nearby work | Bystander exposure requires frequency/proximity and product evidence. |
Exposure Questions
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Was the product actually Goodyear? | Brand/manufacturer identity is fundamental. |
| Was it an asbestos formulation? | Not every Goodyear product contained asbestos. |
| What year was it used? | Goodyear’s asbestos product periods are documented. |
| Was the brake an aircraft assembly? | SEC evidence specifically identifies aircraft brakes. |
| What task disturbed the material? | Supports exposure pathway. |
| Can packaging, catalogs, aircraft records or witnesses corroborate identity? | Strengthens evidence. |
⚖️ Claims, Insurance & Compensation
Goodyear remains directly involved in asbestos litigation rather than routing claims through a dedicated §524(g) trust. Its 2025 Form 10-K provides current portfolio-level data and explains that the company maintains primary and excess insurance coverage for asbestos liabilities.
| 2025 claims / financial fact | Goodyear-reported information |
|---|---|
| Pending claimants, beginning of 2025 | Approximately 35,400. |
| New claims filed during 2025 | Approximately 800. |
| Claims settled/dismissed during 2025 | Approximately 5,800. |
| Pending claimants, end of 2025 | Approximately 30,400. |
| 2025 defense and claim-resolution payments | $16 million by Goodyear and its insurers. |
| Claims disposed of cumulatively | Approximately 167,000. |
| Accrued asbestos liability + gross payments through 2025 | $597 million, including legal costs, by Goodyear and insurers. |
| Gross asserted/unasserted asbestos liability at Dec. 31, 2025 | $107 million, inclusive of defense costs. |
| Asbestos insurance receivable at Dec. 31, 2025 | $57 million. |
| Dedicated §524(g) trust | Not identified. |
Insurance & Reserve Context
| Item | Important limitation |
|---|---|
| Approx. $510M excess policy limits | Goodyear reported these as applicable to indemnity/defense costs under coverage-in-place agreements; not a claimant fund. |
| Expected insurance recovery | Goodyear estimated about 55% of losses during its ten-year liability period could be recoverable through insurance. |
| $107M gross liability | Accounting reserve for asserted/unasserted claims and defense costs, not scheduled compensation. |
| $597M cumulative liability/payments measure | Historical portfolio-level accounting figure, not claimant payouts alone. |
| $16M 2025 payments | Includes defense and claim-resolution payments by Goodyear and insurers. |
| Individual settlement | Cannot be calculated from these corporate figures. |
No Goodyear Trust Payment Percentage or Scheduled Value is presented because a dedicated Goodyear §524(g) trust was not identified.
📊 Documented Goodyear Asbestos Cases
Published cases illustrate both product evidence and its limits. A New York asbestos decision found sufficient evidence to continue a sheet-gasket claim where the worker identified Goodyear as a manufacturer of new gasket material he used. By contrast, a federal aircraft case recommended partial summary judgment for Goodyear where evidence tying specific C-119 and C-141 brake work to Goodyear asbestos-containing products was speculative or insufficient.
| Record | Significance |
|---|---|
| NYC Asbestos Litigation (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2010) | Addresses Goodyear compressed asbestos sheet gasket production and worker identification of Goodyear sheet gasket material. |
| DeMarse evidence in NYCAL | Court record states U.S. compressed-asbestos sheet gasket production ended around 1969 and Goodyear Canada continued until 1973. |
| Federal aircraft asbestos decision (D. Del. 2017) | Recommended partial summary judgment for Goodyear for C-119/C-141 brake allegations due insufficient non-speculative product/exposure evidence. |
| Goodyear 2005 SEC filing | Confirms rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket manufacture 1914–1973 and asbestos aircraft brakes prior to 1987. |
| Goodyear 2025 Form 10-K | Confirms the same product history and reports 30,400 pending claimants at year-end 2025. |
| Morris v. Goodyear (2025–2026) | Recent federal docket confirms continuing asbestos personal-injury litigation involving Goodyear/Kelly Springfield allegations. |
| SEC 2025 claims table | Reports 800 new claims and 5,800 settled/dismissed in 2025. |
| SEC insurance disclosure | Documents ongoing insurance coverage and receivables for asbestos liabilities. |
Evidence Limits
| Finding | Correct interpretation |
|---|---|
| Goodyear manufactured asbestos gasket sheet | Confirmed. |
| Goodyear manufactured asbestos aircraft brake assemblies | Confirmed. |
| Every Goodyear-branded product contained asbestos | No. |
| A remembered aircraft automatically proves Goodyear brake exposure | No. |
| 30,400 pending claimants means 30,400 successful claims | No. |
| Corporate reserves establish individual compensation | No. |
📋 Claim Evidence & Product Identification
A Goodyear asbestos claim is stronger when the historical product or premises exposure can be identified specifically. For gasket claims, useful evidence may include sheet-gasket packaging, catalogs, invoices, flange/equipment records and coworker testimony. For aircraft brake claims, aircraft model, brake assembly records and maintenance documentation can be critical.
Evidence That May Help
- Medical/pathology records supporting an asbestos-related disease.
- Employment, union and Social Security records.
- Goodyear gasket packaging, labels, invoices, catalogs or product descriptions.
- Aircraft model, serial/maintenance records and brake assembly documentation.
- Goodyear facility and contractor work records for premises claims.
- Coworker testimony identifying product brands and dusty tasks.
- Evidence of gasket cutting/scraping or aircraft brake servicing.
- Applicable insurance, defendant and jurisdiction information.
| Step | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Is an asbestos-related disease medically documented? |
| 2 | Was exposure product-based, premises-based or both? |
| 3 | Can a Goodyear gasket or aircraft brake assembly be identified? |
| 4 | Did the exact product contain asbestos in that period? |
| 5 | What task disturbed it? |
| 6 | How frequently and closely did exposure occur? |
| 7 | Are product, aircraft, facility or coworker records available? |
| 8 | Which defendants and insurance/legal routes apply? |
Numbers We Do Not Invent
| Item | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Goodyear Trust Payment Percentage | No dedicated §524(g) trust identified. |
| Goodyear Scheduled Values | None. |
| Average Goodyear asbestos settlement | Not calculated from SEC portfolio data. |
| $16M 2025 payments | Includes defense and claim resolution; not claimant settlements alone. |
| $107M reserve | Accounting liability, not claimant fund. |
| Guaranteed compensation | None. |
Compensation is not guaranteed.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Did Goodyear manufacture asbestos-containing products?
Yes. Goodyear’s 2025 Form 10-K states that it manufactured rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket materials from 1914 through 1973 and aircraft brake assemblies containing asbestos materials prior to 1987.
Were Goodyear tires asbestos-containing products?
The strongest Goodyear SEC disclosures identify asbestos sheet gasket materials and aircraft brake assemblies, not ordinary tires. Historical asbestos litigation should not be used to label all Goodyear tires as asbestos-containing.
How many asbestos claimants did Goodyear report at the end of 2025?
Goodyear reported approximately 30,400 pending asbestos claimants at December 31, 2025.
How many asbestos claims has Goodyear disposed of?
Goodyear’s 2025 Form 10-K states that it had disposed of approximately 167,000 claims by defending them, obtaining dismissals or entering settlements.
Does Goodyear have an asbestos bankruptcy trust?
A dedicated Goodyear §524(g) asbestos bankruptcy trust with published Scheduled Values and a Payment Percentage was not identified. Goodyear remains an operating company and reports asbestos liabilities and insurance directly.
Which workers may have been exposed?
Potential groups include aircraft mechanics, plumbers, pipefitters, industrial maintenance workers, Goodyear facility workers and contractors who handled qualifying historical asbestos materials.
What do Goodyear asbestos court cases show?
Published cases show both viable product-identification evidence involving Goodyear sheet gaskets and unsuccessful aircraft-brake allegations where the evidence did not specifically connect Goodyear asbestos products to the claimant’s work.
What evidence may support a Goodyear asbestos claim?
Medical records, employment history, Goodyear product packaging or catalogs, aircraft maintenance records, facility records, invoices and specific coworker testimony can help establish product or premises exposure.
🧾 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Asbestos Summary
| Detail | Confirmed / carefully qualified information |
|---|---|
| Company | The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. |
| Historical asbestos gasket product | Rubber-coated asbestos sheet gasket material. |
| Manufacturing period | 1914–1973. |
| Historical asbestos aviation product | Aircraft brake assemblies. |
| Aircraft brake period | Prior to 1987. |
| Premises claims | Contractors/employees have alleged exposure at Goodyear facilities. |
| Pending claimants Dec. 31, 2025 | Approximately 30,400. |
| Cumulative claims disposed of | Approximately 167,000. |
| 2025 defense/claim-resolution payments | $16 million by Goodyear and insurers. |
| Gross asbestos liability Dec. 31, 2025 | $107 million including defense costs. |
| Asbestos insurance receivable | $57 million. |
| Dedicated Goodyear §524(g) trust | Not identified. |
| Payment Percentage / Scheduled Values | None. |
| Guaranteed compensation | No. |
📚 Confirmed Primary, Government & Court Sources
- U.S. SEC — Goodyear 2025 Form 10-K, Asbestos Litigation & Claims Data
- U.S. SEC — Goodyear 2004 Form 10-K, Product Dates & Asbestos Litigation
- New York Courts — NYC Asbestos Litigation, Goodyear Sheet Gasket Evidence (2010)
- U.S. District Court, Delaware — Aircraft Brake Asbestos Decision (2017)
- U.S. EPA — Brake & Clutch Asbestos Safety Guidance
- OSHA — Asbestos Standard
Submit Your Case
Call 800.291.0963
Live chat is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Submit Your Case
Working with a Goodyear product or at a Goodyear facility does not automatically establish asbestos exposure or a compensable claim. Product formulation, aircraft/equipment identity, worksite, dates, work activity, exposure frequency, medical evidence and applicable law must be evaluated individually. Compensation is not guaranteed.
⚕️ Legal & Medical Information Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information and is not legal or medical advice. Do not deliberately disturb suspected asbestos-containing gasket or brake material merely to identify it. Consult qualified safety, healthcare and legal professionals for individual guidance.