Was Westinghouse Air Brake (WABCO) — Locomotive Brake Shoe asbestos documented in litigation?

Westinghouse Air Brake (WABCO) — Locomotive Brake Shoe 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 Air Brake (WABCO) — Locomotive Brake Shoe asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Westinghouse Air Brake (WABCO) — Locomotive Brake Shoe 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

WABCO composition locomotive brake shoes (freight, passenger, switcher service)

⚖ Litigation Record1930s-1980sAsbestos fiber allegedly bonded into the phenolic-resin friction body of Westinghouse Air Brake composition brake shoes. Repeated stops shed hot friction dust onto trucks, running gear, and locomotive/car underframes; shop workers changed shoes and swept the dust from pits and roundhouse floors.

Overview Product Facts Trades

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

Product Description

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO) manufactured and supplied composition locomotive brake shoes allegedly containing asbestos fiber bonded into a phenolic-resin friction body. WABCO shoes were allegedly standard specification on many Class I railroad freight, passenger, and switcher locomotives, as well as on freight cars and passenger equipment across the U.S. rail network from the 1930s through the phase-out of asbestos friction in the 1980s.

According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, each brake application allegedly generated hot friction dust that settled on trucks, wheel treads, brake beams, running gear, and the underframes of locomotives and rolling stock. Roundhouse and diesel-shop workers allegedly changed worn shoes on drop pits, scraped and swept accumulated dust from pit floors, and used compressed air to blow out truck assemblies — all of which allegedly aerosolized any asbestos fiber present in the friction composite.

Workers Exposed

Railroad machinists performing brake-shoe change-outs on drop pits and inspection floors
Railroad car maintainers changing shoes on freight cars, passenger cars, and cabooses
Railroad locomotive engineers and firemen exposed to brake dust drifting into and around cabs during heavy braking and yard switching
Railroad conductors and brakemen working alongside brake rigging during yard operations and inspections
Railroad shop laborers sweeping pit floors, cleaning trucks, and disposing of used brake shoes
Railroad electricians working in shared roundhouse and shop space where brake dust settled on adjacent equipment

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If You Worked at Westinghouse Air Brake (WABCO)

If you or a family member worked at Westinghouse Air Brake (WABCO) 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 NameWABCO composition locomotive brake shoes (freight, passenger, switcher service)

Years Produced1930s-1980s

Asbestos ContentAsbestos fiber allegedly bonded into the phenolic-resin friction body of Westinghouse Air Brake composition brake shoes. Repeated stops shed hot friction dust onto trucks, running gear, and locomotive/car underframes; shop workers changed shoes and swept the dust from pits and roundhouse floors.

CategoryBrake-Friction Locomotives

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Railroad MachinistsRailroad Car MaintainersRailroad Engineers and FiremenRailroad Shop Laborers

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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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