General Electric Company

General Electric produced various products that contained asbestos including steam turbines and electrical components. Unlike other manufacturers of asbestos-containing products, General Electric never pursued bankruptcy. Instead, the company continues to handle asbestos exposure lawsuits through direct settlement and court cases.

In 1892, Thomson-Houston Electric combined with Edison General Electric and established General Electric. For some time, Thomas Edison belonged to the company’s board of directors. Over time, General Electric expanded to be one of the biggest companies in the world. The company’s products range from small consumer electronics to nuclear reactors.

General Electric purchased and sold many companies over the last hundred years. For example, in 2011, General Electric sold its more than 50% share in NBC. General Electric also placed asbestos in many of its products, including appliances, steam turbines, and molding compounds. General Electric produced various cables and wires and then marketed the products as Deltabeston.The company also created infrared ovens under the name Wi-SOn patent Flex. The company relied on asbestos when manufacturing industrial equipment due to the material’s durable and heat-resistant nature.

Some of the types of workers known to have been exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured by General Electric include electricians, assemblers of engines, construction workers, plant workers, demolition workers, and insulators. Government workers including people who worked at shipyards and around steel also were exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured by General Electric.

Unlike many other companies, General Electric never pursued bankruptcy or created a trust fund to meet the over 400,000 asbestos claims that have been brought agianst the company.

Countless lawsuits have been brought against General Electric by parties who argue that asbestos exposure from the company’s turbines resulted in people developing mesothelioma as well as other diseases associated with asbestos. Other legal actions against General Electric have involved other products manufactured by the company. Some examples of lawsuits brought against General Electric involving asbestos-containing products manufactured by the company include the following:

• General Electric in 2019 resolved a case out of court with a woman who argued that she was diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to fibers of asbestos that her husband carried home on his person from his position at a paper mill. The lawsuit went to trial and a jury requested that General Electric compensate the woman over $2 million.
• A man worked at a power plant in Florida where he wired, installed, and insulated turbines owned by General Electric. The man was exposed to asbestos dust during this time, which contaminated the man’s clothing. The man’s wife came in contact with asbestos through handling the man’s clothing and later was diagnosed with mesothelioma and passed away from the disease. A court denied a motion from GE for summary judgment in 2011, allowing the case to continue.

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured by the General Electric Company, you should not hesitate to speak with an experienced attorney. To  schedule a free case evaluation with the Throneberry Law Group, contact us today.