Was Union Switch & Signal — asbestos documented in litigation?

Union Switch & Signal — 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 Union Switch & Signal — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Union Switch & Signal — 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

Union Switch & Signal (US&S) Railroad Signal Relays, Switch Machines & Interlocking Cabinets with Asbestos Arc-Chute & Board Components

⚖ Litigation Recordc. 1900-1980sAsbestos-cement (transite-style) arc-chute barriers in US&S signal relays and switch-machine contactors; asbestos-phenolic molded panel board and terminal boards inside interlocking and CTC cabinets; asbestos-millboard barriers between switching contacts

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Union Switch & Signal Company (US&S) — Swissvale (Pittsburgh) PA, founded 1881 as a Westinghouse subsidiary — was through the 20th century one of the two dominant U.S. railroad signaling manufacturers (with General Railway Signal, later Alstom). US&S supplied:

Signal relays (Style-C, PN-150, and other flat-face vital relays) in relay cases along railroad rights-of-way
Switch machines (Model 5, Model M-23, M-3) actuating mainline turnouts
Interlocking machines and later CTC (Centralized Traffic Control) machines at dispatch centers
Highway grade-crossing signal equipment

Vital signal relays and switch-machine contactors carried DC and AC control voltages and had to be constructed to prevent arc-over between adjacent contacts and to contain arcing at contact make/break — historically accomplished with asbestos-cement (transite-style) barriers and arc chutes and asbestos-phenolic molded terminal boards and panel boards.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that US&S signal equipment was specified through the asbestos era with:

Asbestos-cement arc-chute barriers in switch-machine contactors and heavier relays
Asbestos-phenolic molded terminal boards and panel boards in interlocking and CTC cabinets
Asbestos-millboard insulating barriers between switching contacts
Asbestos-containing wire insulation on internal cabinet wiring

Railroad signal maintainers and C&S shop electricians were allegedly exposed to respirable asbestos fibers when cleaning, replacing, or drilling asbestos-cement arc chutes and phenolic boards during routine signal maintenance and cabinet rebuild.

Union Switch & Signal has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Railroad signal maintainers servicing US&S relays and switch machines on line
Signal shop electricians rebuilding US&S cabinets and relay racks
Interlocking maintainers at classification-yard and terminal interlockings
Communication and signal (C&S) technicians at railroad signal shops
Rapid-transit signal workers at systems using US&S equipment

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If You Worked at Union Switch & Signal

If you or a family member worked at Union Switch & Signal 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 NameUnion Switch & Signal (US&S) Railroad Signal Relays, Switch Machines & Interlocking Cabinets with Asbestos Arc-Chute & Board Components

Years Producedc. 1900-1980s

Asbestos ContentAsbestos-cement (transite-style) arc-chute barriers in US&S signal relays and switch-machine contactors; asbestos-phenolic molded panel board and terminal boards inside interlocking and CTC cabinets; asbestos-millboard barriers between switching contacts

CategoryElectrical Electrical-Components

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Railroad signal maintainersSignal shop electriciansInterlocking maintainersCommunication and signal (C&S) technicians

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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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Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

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