Was Westinghouse Elevator — asbestos documented in litigation?

Westinghouse Elevator — 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 Westinghouse Elevator — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Westinghouse Elevator — 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.

Brake-Friction

Westinghouse Elevator hoist-machine brake shoes with asbestos friction linings for freight and passenger elevators

⚖ Litigation Record1900s-1980s (U.S. supply era; Schindler acquired Westinghouse Elevator 1989)Plaintiffs alleged asbestos-fabric and molded asbestos-composition brake shoe linings on Westinghouse Elevator geared traction and gearless hoist machines, disturbed by elevator constructors and elevator mechanics during installation, brake adjustment, and shoe relining — allegedly releasing chrysotile dust into machine-room air.

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Westinghouse Elevator, the elevator division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation, was for decades one of the principal American elevator suppliers alongside Otis. Westinghouse Elevator built geared traction hoist machines for freight and mid-rise passenger elevators, gearless machines for high-rise passenger service, and the associated control gear, hoistway hardware, and brakes. The division was acquired by Schindler in 1989.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Westinghouse Elevator specified asbestos-fabric and molded asbestos-composition friction linings for its hoist-machine brake shoes during the decades when asbestos was the industry-standard elevator brake material. The brake shoes bore on the hoist-machine drum or disc and were the primary means of holding the car at floor and arresting motion — a duty cycle that generated significant heat and friction dust during normal service.

Asbestos Content

Plaintiffs alleged that Westinghouse Elevator hoist-machine brakes contained asbestos in the following roles:

Woven asbestos brake fabric — riveted to steel shoes on drum-type brakes.
Molded asbestos-composition friction blocks — used on later disc-brake designs on gearless machines.
Brake dust residue — deposited on machine-room floors, brake covers, and adjacent equipment by normal wear.
Replacement friction parts — plaintiffs alleged that Westinghouse service literature specified asbestos-bearing linings for scheduled relining work.

Workers Exposed

Elevator constructors (IUEC) — new-installation brake work and modernization relining in office towers, hospitals, and industrial buildings.
Elevator mechanics and adjusters — periodic brake adjustment, dust cleaning, and shoe replacement.
Industrial mechanics and millwrights — freight-elevator brake service in factories, warehouses, and mills.
Building maintenance mechanics — supporting elevator brake service in commercial buildings.
Bystanders — building engineers, electricians, and mechanical-room staff sharing enclosed machine rooms during brake work.

Take-home exposure was alleged where workers carried asbestos fibers home on work clothing.

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If You Worked at Westinghouse Elevator

If you or a family member worked at Westinghouse Elevator 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 NameWestinghouse Elevator hoist-machine brake shoes with asbestos friction linings for freight and passenger elevators

Years Produced1900s-1980s (U.S. supply era; Schindler acquired Westinghouse Elevator 1989)

Asbestos ContentPlaintiffs alleged asbestos-fabric and molded asbestos-composition brake shoe linings on Westinghouse Elevator geared traction and gearless hoist machines, disturbed by elevator constructors and elevator mechanics during installation, brake adjustment, and shoe relining — allegedly releasing chrysotile dust into machine-room air.

CategoryBrake-Friction Electrical

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Elevator constructors (IUEC)Elevator mechanicsIndustrial mechanicsMillwrightsBuilding maintenance mechanics

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No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
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