San Francisco Power Plant PG&E and Asbestos
Like many power plants built before the dangers of asbestos exposure were fully recognized and regulated, the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) power plants in the San Francisco area used asbestos because of its high resistance to heat and electricity transfer. Unfortunately, this means that many former and current PG&E employees faced exposure to asbestos on a regular basis, putting them at risk for asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
At Kazan, McClain, Lyons, Greenwood & Harley, PLC, our asbestos lawyers have represented former PG&E employees throughout California in lawsuits related to serious asbestos-related injury and mesothelioma. We take a compassionate yet goal-oriented approach to each case, helping mesothelioma patients from across the United States achieve financial redress for their injuries.
Asbestos exposure at PG&E
For much of the 20th century, the combination of high resistance heat and electricity transfer and low cost made asbestos an almost irresistible insulating material for power producers. Manufacturers, builders, and power companies routinely insulated boilers, turbines and generators—as well as pipe, plumb, and valve fittings and electrical conduits—with asbestos-containing materials. This insulation was most frequently applied in a spray from the W.R. Grace Corporation, marketed for years as Monokote.
Undisturbed, asbestos is relatively harmless. Unfortunately, as Monokote and similar products age, they become brittle and friable—essentially, the asbestos-containing material begins to turn to dust and becomes inhalable. At this point, asbestos becomes a danger to human health, leading to asbestos-related illnesses like asbestosis and mesothelioma. This deterioration put not only the workers at the power plant at risk, but also their families, as their loved ones carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing.
Workers at PG&E power plants before asbestos abatement in the 1980s and 1990s—and their families—should take care to mention prior asbestos exposure to their doctors whenever any of the symptoms of mesothelioma or asbestosis present themselves. These include shortness of breath, chest pain, chest wall pain, anemia, weight loss, abdominal pain, coughing, wheezing, fatigue and blood in coughed-up mucus or sputum.
Asbestos attorneys in California
If you or a loved one recently received a diagnosis of mesothelioma and are looking for a San Francisco asbestos lawyer, consult with one of the California asbestos attorneys at Kazan, McClain, Lyons, Greenwood & Harley, PLC. We invite you to meet with one of our seasoned mesothelioma attorneys to discuss the details of your case and get a sense of how much you can expect to receive in a settlement or judgment and how long the case will take. Please visit us in our Oakland, California offices, call us at 1-866-804-2311, or contact us online to arrange an initial consultation.
