Was General Motors Frigidaire — Compressor asbestos documented in litigation?

General Motors Frigidaire — Compressor 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 Motors Frigidaire — Compressor asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to General Motors Frigidaire — Compressor 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.

Hvac-Equipment

Frigidaire commercial-refrigeration compressor asbestos-fabric belt-drive components, clutch friction discs, and compressor-head gaskets

⚖ Litigation Record1935-1979Allegedly incorporated woven chrysotile-asbestos friction discs in belt-drive electromagnetic clutches, chrysotile-asbestos sheet-gasket material at compressor cylinder heads and valve plates, and asbestos-braid packing at compressor shaft seals on Frigidaire commercial and industrial refrigeration compressors; workers inhaled respirable fibers during compressor overhauls, clutch disc replacement, and head-gasket service.

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Frigidaire, a division of General Motors Corporation from 1919 until its 1979 divestiture to White Consolidated Industries, allegedly manufactured commercial and industrial refrigeration compressors used in supermarket display cases, walk-in coolers and freezers, cold-storage warehouses, ice plants, dairy processing lines, and comparable refrigeration systems. According to publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation, Frigidaire commercial-refrigeration compressors incorporated asbestos-containing components in three principal locations: the belt-drive electromagnetic clutch that engaged the compressor pulley, the sheet-gasket surfaces sealing the cylinder head and valve plate to the compressor block, and the shaft-seal packing at the compressor’s driveshaft.

Plaintiffs allegedly identified Frigidaire commercial-refrigeration compressors — including reciprocating open-drive units belt-coupled to electric motors — installed in supermarket chains, meat-packing plants, dairy operations, breweries, and cold-storage warehouses across the United States from the 1940s through the late 1970s. Publicly filed litigation records allegedly reference woven chrysotile-asbestos clutch friction discs, compressed asbestos sheet gaskets in nominal thicknesses of 1/32-inch and 1/16-inch, and braided asbestos packing rope at shaft-seal housings.

Workers Exposed

According to publicly filed U.S. asbestos litigation, workers allegedly exposed to Frigidaire compressor asbestos components included commercial refrigeration mechanics servicing supermarket refrigeration racks and walk-in coolers, HVAC service mechanics performing compressor overhauls, industrial refrigeration millwrights in cold-storage warehouses and food-processing plants, and dairy and brewery plant mechanics. Plaintiffs allegedly described compressor service that required scraping old chrysotile-fiber head gaskets from cylinder-head mating surfaces with putty knives and wire brushes, cutting replacement gaskets from asbestos sheet stock, packing shaft-seal glands with braided asbestos rope, and replacing worn belt-drive clutch friction discs. These operations allegedly released chrysotile fibers into the mechanic’s breathing zone.

Bystander workers — store maintenance personnel, meat cutters, dairy workers, and warehouse laborers — allegedly inhaled fibers dispersed by compressor work in engine rooms and rack rooms.

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If You Worked at General Motors Frigidaire

If you or a family member worked at General Motors Frigidaire 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 be entitled to significant compensation. Time-sensitive filing deadlines apply.

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Product Facts

Trade NameFrigidaire commercial-refrigeration compressor asbestos-fabric belt-drive components, clutch friction discs, and compressor-head gaskets

Years Produced1935-1979

Asbestos ContentAllegedly incorporated woven chrysotile-asbestos friction discs in belt-drive electromagnetic clutches, chrysotile-asbestos sheet-gasket material at compressor cylinder heads and valve plates, and asbestos-braid packing at compressor shaft seals on Frigidaire commercial and industrial refrigeration compressors; workers inhaled respirable fibers during compressor overhauls, clutch disc replacement, and head-gasket service.

CategoryHvac-Equipment Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Commercial refrigeration mechanicsSupermarket refrigeration techniciansHVAC service mechanicsIndustrial refrigeration millwrightsCold-storage plant mechanics

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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 be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

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No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
Trust fund claims, civil lawsuits, and VA benefits pursued simultaneously

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