United Illuminating / New Haven Gas & Electric — New Haven, Connecticut

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that workers at United Illuminating Company and predecessor New Haven Gas & Electric Company power generation and distribution facilities in New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, sustained occupational asbestos exposure during decades of utility operations.

Facility Background

United Illuminating Company has served the New Haven and Bridgeport areas of Connecticut since the early twentieth century, operating steam electric generating stations and an extensive distribution network. The company’s New Haven generating stations — including the English Station and the New Haven Harbor Station — burned coal and fuel oil to generate steam-electric power through turbine-generator sets.

Plaintiffs alleged that coal-fired and oil-fired steam generating plants of the mid-twentieth century were constructed with asbestos insulation on boilers, turbines, steam lines, and heat exchangers as the standard materials of the era, and that workers at these facilities were routinely exposed to asbestos fiber during operations, maintenance, and repair.

Alleged Asbestos Pathways

Plaintiffs alleged in litigation that asbestos exposure occurred through multiple pathways:

  • Boiler insulation and repair: Plaintiffs alleged that boilermakers, insulator workers, and maintenance mechanics encountered asbestos block, blanket, and cement insulation during boiler overhauls, tube replacements, and annual inspections at the New Haven generating stations.
  • Turbine and condenser insulation: Plaintiffs alleged that turbine-generator sets, steam condensers, and associated piping were insulated with asbestos-containing materials requiring periodic replacement by outside contractors and utility maintenance workers.
  • Steam distribution piping: Plaintiffs alleged that the extensive steam and feedwater piping systems within generating stations were wrapped with asbestos pipe covering, requiring regular maintenance and repair.
  • Gaskets and valve packing: Plaintiffs alleged that workers maintaining steam valves, flanged connections, and pump seals encountered asbestos compressed-fiber gaskets and braided packing throughout the generating stations and substations.

Connecticut has a two-year statute of limitations under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584, running from the date of mesothelioma diagnosis under the discovery rule. Wrongful death claims carry a two-year limit under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-555.

Workers who were employed at United Illuminating or New Haven Gas & Electric facilities and who have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos-related disease may have legal remedies available. Contact O’Brien Law Firm at (314) 237-3332 to discuss your work history and legal options at no cost.