Westinghouse Electric manufactured asbestos-containing lightbulbs, welding rods, turbines and other products for decades. The company continues to face asbestos lawsuits through its successor companies. Westinghouse hasn't established an asbestos trust fund.
Manufactured turbines, lightbulbs and welding rods
Asbestos Trust:
No
Bankruptcy Status:
Filed in 2017, reorganized in 2018
Overview of Westinghouse Electric Asbestos Compensation
Westinghouse Electric continues to face asbestos lawsuits through its successor companies. People diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases from exposure to Westinghouse products can file personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Courts have awarded compensation covering medical expenses, ongoing treatment and care, lost wages, pain and suffering and loss of companionship.
The original Westinghouse Electric Company now exists as several organizations, including the media company Paramount Global and the nuclear energy company Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Paramount Global still faced nearly 20,000 pending lawsuits and 2,800 new claims related to mesothelioma or other asbestos cancers at the end of 2023. Between 2022 and 2023, Paramount spent $111 million on claims and negotiated settlements related to Westinghouse asbestos products.
Unlike many asbestos companies, the Westinghouse successors haven’t filed for bankruptcy related to asbestos litigation. No asbestos trust fund has been created. Former Westinghouse employees who develop mesothelioma can also file workers’ compensation claims.
Legal Help for People Exposed to Westinghouse Electric Asbestos Products
If your mesothelioma diagnosis results from exposure to Westinghouse Electric asbestos products, contact a mesothelioma lawyer to discuss your compensation options. Many mesothelioma patients find filing lawsuits against the company complex because of its corporate mergers and sales. An experienced asbestos lawyer knows which successor companies to name as defendants and can manage filing deadlines and evidence gathering.
A Patient Advocate makes it easier to select the right lawyer. Your Patient Advocate will match you with a lawyer you’ll trust to manage your case so you can focus on your health. They can also schedule appointments with leading mesothelioma doctors, manage insurance and VA benefits claims, identify financial assistance opportunities and offer ongoing support.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos Products Made by Westinghouse Electric?
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Mesothelioma Lawsuits Involving Westinghouse Electric
Westinghouse Electric faced thousands of asbestos lawsuits by the end of the 1980s. New claims continue to emerge because mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses can take 50 years or more to develop.
Westinghouse Electric, CBS and Paramount Global commonly settle mesothelioma lawsuits. In 2024, Paramount spent $34 million to close nearly 4,800 claims in addition to its insurance coverage.
Notable Asbestos Cases Against Westinghouse Electric
$7.25 million: A Philadelphia jury awarded this amount in 2014 to the family of Edward Merwitz, who died of mesothelioma. Merwitz was exposed to asbestos products in the U.S. Navy, and the jury held Westinghouse responsible along with other manufacturers.
Undisclosed settlement: Barry and Molly Kelly settled with CBS in 2015 during trial. Barry was a former U.S. Navy officer who developed peritoneal mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos products Westinghouse Electric made on the ship where he served for 20 years.
Recent cases remain active in courts. For example, Vernon Armstrong filed a personal injury lawsuit in 2025 against Paramount Global and other defendants, linking his lung cancer to asbestos exposure in the U.S. Navy. Former shipyard worker Ted Matherne Sr. filed a lawsuit in 2024 related to Westinghouse Electric’s asbestos-containing Micarta wallboards.
Other ongoing cases involve claims from former maintenance technicians and family members of workers exposed to asbestos in Westinghouse products. Courts have prevented CBS from dismissing claims and have compelled the company to share internal documents.
George Westinghouse founded Westinghouse Electric in 1886 when he built the first generating plant to produce alternating electrical current. The company went through multiple mergers and sales in the 1990s and 2000s, but successor companies remain liable for asbestos exposure from Westinghouse products.
During the 20th century, Westinghouse led in power generation and electrical products, industries in which asbestos was commonly used for its resistance to heat and fire. The company sold products containing asbestos fibers, including steam turbines, heating coils, generators, fans, circuit breakers and compressors.
Court documents show that as a member of the Air Hygiene Foundation, Westinghouse learned of research showing increased health risks from asbestos exposure as early as the mid-1930s. Through its various subsidiaries, it continued selling asbestos-containing products until the 1980s.
Westinghouse Electric’s Asbestos Products
Westinghouse manufactured asbestos products, including cables, gaskets, lightbulbs and turbines. The company often used asbestos insulation around its products, exposing workers and nearby personnel to dangerous fibers.
Westinghouse turbines are one of the most recognized sources of asbestos exposure among former shipyard workers and Navy crew members. These asbestos-laden turbines were found in engine rooms in many ships built during World War II and after.
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From Westinghouse Electric?
The wide variety of asbestos products Westinghouse manufactured meant workers faced mesothelioma risks in countless industries. The company’s products were common in electrical applications, construction projects, ships, offshore oil rigs and many other commercial and industrial environments until the 1980s.
Westinghouse Electric employees were frequently exposed to airborne asbestos fibers during the manufacturing process. Asbestos-containing parts and thermal coatings were especially common in lightbulbs, wiring and electrical products. Plant construction and maintenance workers handled toxic material when installing, removing and replacing asbestos insulation and wiring.
Workers at Westinghouse facilities could be exposed to asbestos even when not working directly with the material. Once asbestos fibers become airborne, they can easily affect nearby technicians and supervisors or travel to other areas of the plant.
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D. Carl Money is an attorney at Nemeroff Law. He has devoted his career to fighting for workers diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families. Money has more than 25 years of experience fighting for people with asbestos-related diseases. He’s licensed in Texas, New York, England and Wales and belongs to various legal organizations across the U.S. and U.K.
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