Was General Electric Traction Motors — asbestos documented in litigation?

General Electric Traction Motors — is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to General Electric Traction Motors — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to General Electric Traction Motors — products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Electrical

GE Diesel-Electric Locomotive Traction Motors with Asbestos-Fabric Commutator & Field-Coil Insulation

⚖ Litigation Recordc. 1920s-1980sAsbestos-fabric tape and cloth insulation wrapped around commutator segments, field-coil windings, and lead connections in GE traction motors; asbestos-varnish-impregnated cloth tape used as high-temperature electrical insulation subject to fiber release during motor rebuild, commutator turning, and armature rewind

General Electric Company — Asbestos …

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Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Read the video transcript

Did you work with GE Diesel-Electric Locomotive Traction Motors with Asbestos-Fabric Commutator and Field-Coil Insulation? According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, it allegedly contained asbestos. Here is what it was, who was exposed, and who is responsible. GE Diesel-Electric Locomotive Traction Motors with Asbestos-Fabric Commutator and Field-Coil Insulation, made by General Electric Company, sold from around the 1920s until the 1980s. Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that General Electric diesel-electric locomotive traction motors were built with asbestos-fabric commutator and field-coil insulation that released respirable fibers during shop rebuild and armature-winding work. According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, this product allegedly contained the following: asbestos-fabric tape and cloth insulation wrapped around commutator segments, field-coil windings, and lead connections in GE traction motors; asbestos-varnish-impregnated cloth tape used as high-temperature electrical insulation subject to fiber release during motor rebuild, commutator turning, and armature rewind. Workers allegedly exposed around this product included Railroad shop electricians, Traction-motor rebuilders, Locomotive maintenance workers, and Armature winders. Asbestos claims are brought against the companies that made the products. If you worked with or around GE Diesel-Electric Locomotive Traction Motors with Asbestos-Fabric Commutator and Field-Coil Insulation and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the manufacturer. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.

Product Description

General Electric Company was through the 20th century one of the two dominant U.S. manufacturers of diesel-electric locomotive traction motors — the large DC (and later AC) electric motors mounted on locomotive trucks that convert diesel-generated electrical power into wheel torque. GE traction motors — including the historic GE 752, 761, and 776 series — powered GE-built road locomotives (U-boats, Dash-7, Dash-8, Dash-9 series) and were also supplied under contract to other locomotive builders.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that GE traction motors were specified through the asbestos era with:

Asbestos-fabric tape and cloth insulation wrapped around commutator segments to insulate copper bars
Asbestos-varnish-impregnated cloth insulation on field-coil windings
Asbestos electrical tape on lead connections and pole-piece assemblies
Asbestos-containing arc-chute components in traction-motor control switchgear

Railroad shop electricians and traction-motor rebuilders were allegedly exposed to respirable asbestos fibers when disassembling motors for rebuild, turning and undercutting commutators, cutting away old insulation from field coils, and rewinding armatures.

General Electric has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Railroad shop electricians rebuilding GE traction motors
Traction-motor rebuilders at Class I railroad electrical shops
Armature winders rewinding GE motor armatures
Locomotive maintenance workers servicing traction-motor assemblies
Industrial-railroad electricians at mining, steel, and short-line shops

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If You Worked at General Electric Traction Motors

If you or a family member worked at General Electric Traction Motors and were exposed to asbestos-containing materials at this facility — and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease — you may have a legal claim. Time-sensitive filing deadlines apply.

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Product Facts

Trade NameGE Diesel-Electric Locomotive Traction Motors with Asbestos-Fabric Commutator & Field-Coil Insulation

ManufacturerGeneral Electric Company — Asbestos Products & Litigation History

Years Producedc. 1920s-1980s

Asbestos ContentAsbestos-fabric tape and cloth insulation wrapped around commutator segments, field-coil windings, and lead connections in GE traction motors; asbestos-varnish-impregnated cloth tape used as high-temperature electrical insulation subject to fiber release during motor rebuild, commutator turning, and armature rewind

CategoryElectrical Electrical-Components

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Railroad shop electriciansTraction-motor rebuildersLocomotive maintenance workersArmature winders

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Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may have a legal claim. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

Living with a diagnosis?

If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, a filing deadline may already be running. You may have a legal claim now — and claims can often be pursued even if the company is out of business.

Lost a loved one to mesothelioma?

Surviving spouses and children may pursue a wrongful-death claim and asbestos-trust recovery on a loved one's behalf — a separate deadline that can run from the date of passing.

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No attorney fee unless the case resolves in your favor
Personal-injury and wrongful-death claims both evaluated
Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
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