General Electric (GE) & Asbestos Exposure
Manufacturer General Electric (GE) used asbestos primarily as an insulator in a variety of industrial and consumer goods, including electronics, wiring, furnaces, and steam turbines, putting both employees and consumers at risk.
Victims of asbestos exposure linked to GE may qualify for financial compensation for their injuries.
Apply For CompensationKey Information
- Compensation: If you’ve developed an asbestos-related disease due to exposure to General Electric products, you may be eligible for multiple forms of compensation.
- Products: GE used asbestos in its steam turbines, infrared ovens, cables, wires, consumer electronics, and more.
- Occupations: Factory workers, power plant workers, electricians, and U.S. Navy veterans are at higher risk of illness from GE asbestos exposure.
- Get Help Today: Our team of legal experts can help determine if you may be eligible for compensation. Schedule a free consultation today.
General Electric & History of Asbestos Usage
General Electric was formed in 1892 from the merger of Thomson-Houston Electric Company and Edison General Electric. It began as a manufacturer and installer of electrical and lighting systems.
Over the next century, GE expanded into multiple industries, including transportation, healthcare, entertainment, aerospace, electronics, plastics, and energy. For much of this history, GE used asbestos insulation in its products and factories.
Fact
Asbestos insulation is highly heat- and fire-resistant, and many companies, including GE, continued to use it long after it was acknowledged as dangerous. Although GE began phasing out asbestos use in the 1980s, many GE asbestos-containing products remain in residential, commercial, and military properties nationwide.
Although they are responsible for exposing hundreds of thousands of workers to asbestos, GE remains a profitable, global company. It has never declared bankruptcy and does not operate an asbestos trust fund. Instead, GE chooses to handle all asbestos claims through the court system.
See if you qualify for compensation now.
Dangers of Asbestos-Related Diseases
Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring minerals with similar structure. All forms of asbestos separate into thin, tough strands, which are very durable and highly resistant to heat, fire, and corrosion.
These properties made asbestos highly desirable to manufacturers across all industries. Even after its dangers became apparent, many manufacturers, including GE, continued using it, choosing to protect their profit margins rather than their employees and consumers.
Today, asbestos is a widely recognized carcinogen. When mined, handled, or damaged, asbestos particles become airborne and can be inhaled or swallowed. Once asbestos fibers enter the body, they cause irritation, inflammation, scarring, and DNA changes that can lead to serious illnesses.
Asbestos-related diseases:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Asbestosis
- Other cancer
- Pleural effusions
- Pleural plaques
- Pleural thickening
General Electric & Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer affecting the mesothelium, the thin lining surrounding various organs. It can occur in the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testes. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma has a 5-year survival rate of only 5% to 10%, depending on the location of the cancer, the stage at which it is diagnosed, and the circumstances of the patient. It has a long latency period, often appearing decades after asbestos exposure.
Treating mesothelioma is expensive, and treatments are often not fully covered by insurance. Many mesothelioma patients struggle to cover the medical costs generated by their diagnosis, making it necessary to seek compensation from negligent asbestos manufacturers like GE.
Financial Compensation From General Electric
Although GE has not established an asbestos trust fund, compensation is still available for victims exposed to asbestos through GE’s products and activities. GE has settled more than 400,000 asbestos claims through the legal system.
There are two primary types of lawsuits victims and their families can file to pursue compensation from GE:
- Personal injury lawsuit: Living victims of GE asbestos exposure can file a lawsuit seeking compensation for their losses due to the company’s negligence.
- Wrongful death lawsuit: If an asbestos exposure victim passes away before they can receive justice for their injuries, family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for the losses they have suffered due to the death of their family member.
Most claims never go to trial. Historically, GE has preferred settling claims out of court for undisclosed sums when possible. While trial verdicts are often larger, they can take a long time and be overturned on appeal.
Settlement can be a good option for many victims as it is a quick and binding way to receive compensation.
Some victims may be eligible for additional compensation like benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), workers’ compensation, or more. An experienced asbestos attorney can help you understand all of your potential compensation options.
Asbestos Lawsuits Against General Electric
- Lynda Berry
General Electric and several other companies settled out-of-court with Lynda Berry. Berry’s husband had worked as a paper mill engineer, and she alleged that her mesothelioma was caused by secondhand exposure to asbestos from her husband’s clothing.
The lawsuit went to trial in Louisiana, and the defendants who did not settle had to pay $2.25 million.
- Nicholas Barone
The court awarded the family of a former engineer in GE’s Pittsfield plant, Nicholas Barone, $15 million after it was successfully argued that exposure to GE asbestos caused his mesothelioma.
Although Barone died during the trial, his family was able to continue seeking justice through a wrongful death lawsuit.
- Arthur Montgomery
Arthur Montgomery, a former worker at the Port Everglades Power Plant, sued GE for asbestos exposure. Montgomery, who worked with GE turbines, alleged that he was exposed to asbestos during his work.
He unknowingly carried asbestos fibers home on his clothes, resulting in his wife’s exposure. Tragically, Montgomery’s wife passed away from mesothelioma shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
- Howard Plumb
Howard Plumb, exposed to GE asbestos while working as an electrician’s helper, was awarded $1.5 million in 2000. The court found GE 98% responsible for Mr. Plumb’s mesothelioma.
- Ed Lauter
The family of actor Ed Lauter filed suit against CBS and GE — one-time owners of NBC — alleging that the actor was exposed to asbestos during the decades he spent filming at television studios. Lauter was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2013 and died less than 6 months later.
GE Products Containing Asbestos
GE has manufactured a vast range of products over the decades. Many of these products may have contained asbestos and put workers at risk of conditions such as mesothelioma.
Products known to contain asbestos include:
- Insulation
- Furnaces
- Turbines
- Ovens
- Cables
- Consumer electronic products
These were sold under different brand names. For example, wiring and cabling were sold under the brand name Deltabeston, while GE produced ovens under the name Wil-Son Patent-Flex.
Individuals working with these products are highly likely to have been exposed to asbestos during their careers.
Occupations at Risk From GE Products
The use of asbestos by GE potentially exposed workers in many different industries, including:
- Insulators
- Electricians
- Power plant workers
- Consumer goods assemblers
- Construction workers
- Electrical engineers
- Demolition crews
GE workers were at risk of asbestos exposure in two ways. First, they may have come into contact with asbestos fibers during manufacturing. Additionally, as power plants and factories were constructed using asbestos for insulation, they were likely working in the presence of asbestos daily.
Risk Levels for General Electric Occupations
Insulators
Insulators are among the professions most at risk of asbestos exposure. Because asbestos is heat-resistant, it was widely used in insulation efforts throughout previous decades.
Insulators are at a significant risk of developing diseases like mesothelioma. Even today, they may encounter asbestos when working on older structures.
Risk Level: Highest
Electricians
Electricians, meanwhile, are classed as medium-risk. Asbestos was frequently used in wiring projects for insulation and protection.
Electricians who worked on GE projects between the 1920s and 1980s were at risk of asbestos exposure. Electricians who rewire older buildings — where asbestos-containing products may still be in place — are also at risk.
Risk Level: Medium
Dangers of Secondhand Exposure
The risk of asbestos exposure extended to the families of asbestos industry workers.
After returning home from work, asbestos fibers may have been present on uniforms and work clothes. If family members handled or disturbed contaminated items, tiny fibers could be inhaled or swallowed, causing secondhand asbestos exposure.
Get Help Today
A diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness can profoundly impact victims and their families — physically, emotionally, and financially. Many struggle to cover overwhelming medical expenses while being unable to work due to the debilitating effects of their illness.
If you or a loved one has been affected by asbestos exposure from GE products, you may be eligible for compensation. The experienced asbestos attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg provide free initial consultations to help you understand your options and determine whether you have a valid claim against companies like GE.
Our dedicated team has the expertise and resources to guide you through every step of the claims process, helping you receive justice and compensation.
Contact us today to take the first step toward holding GE accountable.
Sources
- CBC, “Hidden asbestos: Hundreds of homes in Peterborough, Ont., suspected of containing toxic material from GE plant”. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/asbestos-peterborough-general-electric-cleanup-1.5283683
- Law360, “Foster Wheeler On Hook For $2.25M Asbestos Award.” Retrieved from https://dobslegal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Foster-Wheeler-On-Hook-For-2.25M-Asbestos-Award.pdf
- GE, “Our History of Innovation. Retrieved from https://www.ge.com/about-us/history#/
- Asbestos exposure and cancer risk fact sheet. Fact Sheet – NCI. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet
- Foster Wheeler on hook for $2.25m asbestos award. Law360. (n.d.). https://www.law360.com/articles/1162232/foster-wheeler-on-hook-for-2-25m-asbestos-award
- Friedman, D. J. (n.d.). Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair. Companies that Produced Asbestos & Years of Asbestos Product Production – How to file an asbestos injury claim with an Asbestos Trust. https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Producing_Companies.php#G
- General Electric Company — Company History. Company-histories.com. (n.d.). https://www.company-histories.com/General-Electric-Company-Company-History.html
- IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE IN AND FOR NEW CASTLE COUNTY. Justia. (n.d.). https://cases.justia.com/delaware/superior-court/09c-11-217-asb-0.pdf?ts=1323890163
- State of New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Third Judicial Department. (n.d.). https://decisions.courts.state.ny.us/ad3/decisions/2003/92517.pdf
- Sukiennik, G. (2024, May 30). A former Pittsfield GE Plant Engineer successfully argued in court that materials he worked with contained asbestos and caused his fatal cancer. The Berkshire Eagle. https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/central_berkshires/asbestos-lawsuit-verdict-connecticut-pittsfield-general-electric-connection/article_a5507e12-1de8-11ef-93e4-930914a88b4e.html
- Turner, H., & Ayers, P. (2014, May 1). Actor’s Widow Files Asbestos Lawsuit. Lawsuits, Legal News & Issues, Lawsuit Settlements, Class Action Lawsuits. https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/legal-news/asbestos_mesothelioma/asbestos-lawsuit-mesothelioma-26-19744.html