South Carolina Court Holds ESAB and Altrad Liable for Cape Asbestos Claims

Business Wire·21 Sep 2026·

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A South Carolina trial court has found that ESAB Corp. and the France-based Altrad Group are responsible for Cape Asbestos Co. Ltd.'s historical asbestos operations, making the two companies liable for legal judgments. The ruling, announced Sept. 14 by former South Carolina Chief Justice Jean H. Toal, confirms that ESAB and Altrad are responsible for cancer-causing asbestos imported and distributed throughout the United States for decades. The decision came in a lawsuit filed by John A. Tibbs and his wife, who seek to hold the companies responsible for the sale of raw asbestos that caused Mr. Tibbs' cancer. ESAB, an American-Swedish industrial company, is the ultimate corporate parent of Charter Consolidated and Central Mining, entities the court found participated in controlling Cape's asbestos business and its distribution of asbestos into the United States, while the Altrad Group acquired Cape in 2017 and the court determined that Altrad Investment Authority S.A.S. and its chairman, Mohed Altrad, are responsible for Cape's conduct and liabilities. Attorney Trey Branham of Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, said the ruling opens the door for thousands of claimants to recover against one of the largest corporate conglomerates in the world, adding that the firm has already obtained separate judgments against Cape, including one for $38 million for client Jerry Ross and his family, and intends to immediately begin enforcement against those the court found responsible. The case is Tibbs v. 3M Company, et al., Case No. 2023-CP-40-01759, in the Court of Common Pleas for Richland County, South Carolina.

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