Buffalo Pumps Asbestos Lawsuit [2026 Update]

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Buffalo Pumps makes centrifugal pumps used in military and commercial operations. Many of the company’s older pumps contained asbestos insulation and parts. People who worked on Buffalo Pumps’ centrifugal pumps breathed and ingested asbestos fibers.

Many of these workers were later diagnosed with mesothelioma and other diseases. People who are diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases are filing lawsuits against the companies that made products used in the manufacturing of Buffalo Pumps.

What This Page Covers

This page examines the history of Buffalo Pumps and its use of asbestos in its operations. This article also discusses which Buffalo Pumps models and accessories contained asbestos, as well as the health risks associated with exposure to Buffalo Pumps’ products. It also summarizes asbestos lawsuits involving Buffalo Pumps, who can file a claim, and what people can expect during the legal process.

About the Buffalo Pumps Asbestos Lawsuit

About Buffalo Pumps Inc. and Its History of Asbestos Use

Buffalo Pumps, Inc., started producing commercial pump products in 1887 as the Buffalo Steam Pump Company. About 40 years after the company began, Buffalo Forge purchased it in the 1930s. Later, Ampco-Pittsburgh bought the company in 1979. In 1985, Buffalo Pump, Inc., became a standalone business, although it is still a subsidiary of Ampco.

Buffalo Pumps was a crucial supplier to the military and private industries during World War I and World War II. The company was commissioned by the United States Air Force and Marines to help build pumps for ships and aircraft, such as the famous Liberty Ships.

Chrysotile asbestos was a key ingredient in gaskets, insulation, flanges, and packing used by Buffalo Pump. The asbestos helped keep the heat and steam within the closed system. It also protected the pump system from outside temperature changes.

Workers would encounter asbestos when they helped manufacture pumps at Buffalo Pumps and when servicing them in the field. While newer Buffalo Pumps’ models may not rely on asbestos, older Buffalo Pumps are still in circulation. Workers risk inhaling or ingesting the fibers when servicing these older pumps.

Historical Timeline of Asbestos Use at Buffalo Pumps Inc

1980s: Buffalo Pumps starts to phase out asbestos-containing components in favor of safer alternatives in its updated models. However, some older models of centrifugal pumps are still in operation and may incorporate contaminated components. Modern-day workers who service or remove older Buffalo Pumps’ products may be exposed to asbestos.

1971: OSHA passes regulations that restrict asbestos use. These regulations would affect the North Tonawanda Buffalo Pumps’ manufacturing plant. These new rules also require Buffalo Pumps and organizations that use Buffalo Pumps’ centrifugal pumps to provide workers with protective equipment.

1940s through 1970s: Buffalo Pumps was commissioned to make centrifugal pumps for the U.S. Navy during World Wars I and II. The demand for centrifugal pumps increases among industrial customers. These centrifugal pumps and their component parts may have been insulated with asbestos-containing materials.

Early 1900s: Buffalo Pumps begins using asbestos-containing gaskets, insulation, and other components in its centrifugal pumps.

Which Buffalo Pump Products Contained Asbestos?

Many of Buffalo Pump’s centrifugal pumps were insulated with asbestos. Asbestos products used in Buffalo Pumps products included flanges, packing, insulation, and gaskets. Here are some of the Buffalo Pumps models that likely contained asbestos at some point in their production:

• Single-suction pumps (Classes CH, CL, CM, CS, CO, CSS) for industrial & marine duty
• Double-suction pumps (Classes SA, S, SLH, SU, DSS, SW)
• Paper-stock pumps (Classes DS, DSH) for pulp and paper operations
• Sewage pumps (Classes E, RS, RSL) for municipal and utility service.
• Multistage pumps (Classes RR-2, RR-4) for high head and pressure service

In prior court proceedings, Buffalo Pumps claimed it did not make the asbestos products used in its pumps. Instead, it says it purchased and used asbestos-laden components made by other businesses. An experienced lawyer can help people who worked with Buffalo Pumps’ products and developed mesothelioma file a lawsuit.

How Were Buffalo Pumps Workers Exposed to Asbestos?

People who worked on or with Buffalo Pumps’ products were exposed to asbestos through a number of pathways. First, workers would help cut, weld, and assemble the pumps and centrifugal lines at the North Tonawanda, New York, facility. Here, workers would inadvertently release asbestos into the air when cutting, manipulating, and fitting the gaskets, valve packing, and insulation for the pumps.

The centrifugal pumps would then be transported to end-users, which included Navy shipyards and manufacturing plants. There, the pumps would be installed and serviced onsite, either by Buffalo Pumps’ technicians or an in-house team. Asbestos fibers would escape the gaskets, packing, and insulation during operation or when these pieces were cut, scraped, or replaced.

Buffalo Pumps also maintains and overhauls many of its older systems that have asbestos parts. Maintenance mechanics and welders could release asbestos fibers from the old gaskets and other components while servicing the pumps.

Legacy Buffalo Pump’s products being decommissioned may also contain asbestos, which is released during the removal process. Workers may also take home asbestos fibers that get stuck on their clothes after they work on Buffalo Pumps.

Why Did Buffalo Pumps Use Asbestos in Its Products?

Buffalo Pumps contained asbestos because the mineral is very good at protecting materials in high-heat and high-friction environments. Asbestos is also a very good insulator. It can protect machine components from extreme hot or cold temperatures. Buffalo Pumps used asbestos to create products that could stand up to tough conditions.

Which Jobs and Work Areas Had the Highest Risk of Asbestos Exposure?

People who built, serviced, installed, and operated Buffalo Pumps can be exposed to asbestos. Additionally, people who removed legacy Buffalo Pumps may be exposed to asbestos present day. This includes people who worked in the following environments and departments:

• Manufacturing Spaces: Machinists, assemblers, maintenance workers, insulators, and others at the North Tonawanda plant.
• Shipyards and Navy Vessels: Boilermen, enginemen, machinist’s mates, pipefitters, steamfitters, electricians, and others in engine rooms, pump rooms, boiler rooms, and elsewhere below deck.
• Industrial Locations: Paper mills, power plants, refineries, and chemical plants.
• Other professions: Municipal, sewage, and HVAC workers.

Additionally, people who lived with those who worked with contaminated Buffalo Pumps may also be at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. Many workers carried asbestos fibers home with them on their clothes, and the fibers would scatter throughout the house when the clothes were taken off and cleaned.

Health Risks Linked to Asbestos Exposure From Working at Buffalo Pumps

Working with Buffalo Pumps products that contain asbestos increases a person’s risk of developing a disease related to asbestos exposure. Some of the health risks that can develop after encountering asbestos in Buffalo Pumps’ products include the following:

• Mesothelioma: A type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and other internal organs.
• Lung cancer: Asbestos contact can cause a specific type of lung cancer.
• Asbestosis: Lung damage from breathing in asbestos.
• Pleural plaques: Thickening of the lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure (can be, but is not always, a precursor to asbestos-related cancer).
• Stomach and throat cancer: Inhaling asbestos can lead to cancer of the stomach, gastrointestinal tract, or throat.

Oftentimes, asbestos exposure does not lead to a related disease until decades after exposure. This is called a disease latency period. For mesothelioma, that period is typically 20 to 71 years .

Many people were either unaware of their asbestos exposure or were not aware the mineral was dangerous. Years later, they may learn that their past exposure to Buffalo Pumps’ products caused them to develop mesothelioma.

Buffalo Pumps Lawsuit History & Legal Precedents

Buffalo Pumps has been part of several lawsuits filed by asbestos patients and their surviving families. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers are costly and devastating illnesses. Receiving compensation helps families relieve their financial stress while they cope with their losses.

Buffalo Pumps’ current parent company, Ampco-Pittsburgh, and its subsidiaries have been named in many asbestos lawsuits, including those filed by people who worked for Buffalo Pumps or serviced its products with replacement parts that contained asbestos. Here are some examples of successful lawsuits filed by people who worked with Buffalo Pumps’ products.

Merwitz (2014): Philadelphia Family Wins $7.25 Million Asbestos Verdict

Edward Merwitz, a shipfitter who worked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, died of mesothelioma months after he was diagnosed with the disease. His wife sued the companies that made the asbestos-containing products Edward worked on, including Buffalo Pumps.

Edward was not told that asbestos was harmful, and he was not given equipment to wear to protect him from inhaling asbestos. Edward’s family won a $7.25 million verdict against Rockbestos, Buffalo Pumps, and other companies that made or used the asbestos parts Edward worked on.

Salvemini (2025): Marine Engineer Sues Buffalo Pumps and 15 Other Companies

Michele Salvemini and his wife, Luciana Dell-Accio, sued Buffalo Pumps and 15 other companies that made or used equipment with asbestos in it. Michele was a marine engineer and says he was exposed to asbestos while servicing flanges, gaskets, Buffalo Pumps, and other equipment. He believes Luciana, who passed away from mesothelioma, came into contact with asbestos when she did Michele’s laundry.

The court did not think that Michele and Luciana had enough evidence to show that Buffalo Pumps was responsible for the asbestos in its replacement parts for its pumps. However, the court did think there was enough evidence to show that the companies that made those replacement parts may be at fault for Luciana and Michele getting sick.

Because Michele’s attorneys filed claims against multiple businesses that made asbestos-containing equipment, he could continue his lawsuit and pursue compensation from other sources.

Air & Liquid Systems Corp. v. DeVries (2019): Duty to Warn Under Maritime Law

The Supreme Court determined that maritime law says a manufacturer must warn people if a product contains asbestos out of necessity. Buffalo Pumps may not have made the asbestos-containing gaskets, flanges, and insulation that their pumps used.

However, the company still needed to warn users about the presence of asbestos, even if using asbestos was necessary and a safer alternative did not exist. Because the company did not warn people about the asbestos in its products, it can be found liable for the injuries that asbestos caused.

Who Can File a Buffalo Pumps Asbestos Lawsuit?

Someone can file a Buffalo Pumps asbestos lawsuit if they can trace their mesothelioma to asbestos exposure from working with Buffalo Pumps’ products.

The patient may have serviced, installed, removed, or worked with Buffalo Pumps’ centrifugal pumps. Or, they might have inhaled free asbestos fibers from contaminated dust on their loved ones’ clothes. Loved ones whose family member passed away from an asbestos-related disease may also qualify for compensation.

What Evidence Do I Need to File a Buffalo Pumps Asbestos Lawsuit?

Your Buffalo Pumps lawsuit needs to be supported by evidence that shows your asbestos exposure occurred when working with Buffalo Pumps’ equipment. With this in mind, here are some possible pieces of evidence you can use:

• Medical records showing you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness
• Military and employment records showing that you worked with asbestos in Buffalo Pumps’ centrifugal pumps
• Testimony or physical documents showing when and why you worked with Buffalo Pumps’ products
• Descriptions or model numbers for the contaminated gaskets, flanges, and insulation that you encountered when servicing Buffalo Pumps’ products

An attorney can help you gather evidence to prove the sources of your asbestos exposure from Buffalo Pumps’ equipment. They can also identify other manufacturers that may be at fault for not warning you about the asbestos in other components you worked on or with.

How Can I File a Buffalo Pumps Asbestos Lawsuit?

Filing a Buffalo Pumps asbestos lawsuit involves the following steps:

1. Schedule a free case review with an asbestos attorney at King Law.
2. Sign authorization forms to allow your attorney to gather information to support your Buffalo Pumps asbestos lawsuit.
3. Your asbestos lawyer writes a legal complaint and files it against Buffalo Pumps and other manufacturers that may be at fault.
4. Your attorney files and responds to pretrial motions during the discovery phase of the lawsuit.
5. Your attorney tries to settle the lawsuit against Buffalo Pumps or other asbestos manufacturers.
6. Your attorney takes your Buffalo Pumps asbestos lawsuit to trial if settlement talks are unfruitful.

King Law has a suite of internal databases and a network of experts to help us strengthen our clients’ asbestos claims involving Buffalo Pumps’ products. Our team can help you file a successful mesothelioma claim.

Is There a Deadline to File a Buffalo Pumps Asbestos Lawsuit?

Affected patients and families must file their Buffalo Pumps asbestos lawsuits before the deadline (statute of limitations) runs out. The timeline they have to file a claim depends on what state they file their case in, why, and other factors. For instance, some people who file their asbestos claims in New York may have about 3 years.

However, this does not apply to all asbestos claims. People who think they qualify to file a Buffalo Pumps asbestos lawsuit should talk to a lawyer to find out what deadlines apply in their situation. People who wish to file a mesothelioma lawsuit on behalf of a deceased parent or spouse should also discuss their options with a qualified attorney on our team.

Buffalo Pumps Asbestos Settlement Amounts

The settlements for Buffalo Pumps asbestos cases are calculated on a case-by-case basis. Some mesothelioma patients and their surviving loved ones may receive up to $250,000 to $1,000,000 or more if they win their claims. The final payout in a mesothelioma lawsuit reflects the strength of the person’s case, the losses they suffered, and other factors.

Is There a Buffalo Pumps Asbestos Trust?

Buffalo Pumps is still in operation and has not gone bankrupt, so it has not created an asbestos trust fund. Because of that, people who think Buffalo Pumps is liable for their asbestos exposure would need to file a lawsuit against Buffalo Pumps directly.

However, some of the companies that made components (like gaskets and flanges) used with Buffalo Pumps’ centrifugal pumps have gone bankrupt and created asbestos trust funds. So, people can file an asbestos trust fund claim against those companies. People can file multiple lawsuits and request payouts through multiple asbestos trust funds at the same time.

Maritime Law, DeVries, & VA Options for Navy Veterans

For decades, Buffalo Pumps were present on many navy ships. Navy veterans and military service members who worked on Buffalo Pumps’ products and required accessories may have unknowingly worked with asbestos. Occupations that worked with these parts include shipfitters, machinists, pipefitters, and engineers.

The Supreme Court says that manufacturers may be required to warn people if they need to use asbestos-containing parts with the manufacturer’s products, even if the manufacturer does not make those parts. Navy veterans who worked with asbestos-containing components used with Buffalo Pumps’ products may qualify for the following if they develop a related disease:

• Settlement through a direct lawsuit against Buffalo Pumps or the other at-fault manufacturers
• VA-disability benefits , survivor benefits, and healthcare
• Compensation from an asbestos trust fund

Navy veterans and other qualifying service members may seek multiple types of asbestos compensation at the same time. Receiving a payout through civilian channels (e.g., lawsuits or trust fund claims) does not affect a veteran’s eligibility for full benefits through the VA.

King Law Is Accepting Buffalo Pumps Asbestos and Mesothelioma Lawsuits

King Law has deep knowledge of what it takes to file and win asbestos cases against Buffalo Pumps and other at-fault manufacturers. Our legal partners have worked extensively with industry workers and military members who have been exposed to toxins, including asbestos and aqueous film-forming foam.

We can work with you to create a well-supported case of liability against Buffalo Pumps and any other manufacturer that did not tell you about the risks of working with their products. Contact our team to learn more about filing options, including mesothelioma trust fund claims or mesothelioma lawsuits.

Contact a Buffalo Pumps Asbestos and Mesothelioma Lawyer Today

If you believe that Buffalo Pumps is responsible for your asbestos-related diagnosis, contact our team today by calling (585) 496-2648 or filling out an online contact form. King Law provides free case evaluations. We do not charge clients upfront legal fees to hire us for their Buffalo Pumps asbestos lawsuits.

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