For more than a century, the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Altoona Works built and repaired locomotives in one of the largest railroad shop complexes in the world, and asbestos was part of nearly every job in those shops. Blair County workers diagnosed with mesothelioma today may be able to pursue compensation, and railroaders have a legal path most other workers do not: the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. Michael C. Schafle, Esq., a Philadelphia trial lawyer who handles asbestos cases across Pennsylvania, represents Altoona workers and their families.
Asbestos Exposure at the Altoona Railroad Shops
Steam locomotives were essentially rolling boilers, and boilers were wrapped in asbestos insulation. Shop crews stripped and replaced that lagging during overhauls, mixed insulating cement by hand, and worked beside coworkers doing the same inside enclosed erecting halls. The shift to diesel did not end the risk. Pipe covering, gaskets, friction materials, and electrical components containing asbestos stayed in use for decades. Our page on the PRR Altoona Works covers the site in more detail, and the statewide exposure sites index lists related facilities.
FELA Claims for Altoona Railroad Workers With Mesothelioma
Railroad employees hurt on the job are covered by the Federal Employers’ Liability Act instead of state workers’ compensation. A FELA claim is brought against the railroad employer and requires showing that the railroad’s negligence played some part in the illness. For an Altoona machinist, boilermaker, or shop laborer with mesothelioma, that usually means showing the railroad knew or should have known about asbestos hazards and failed to protect its workers. Families can also bring FELA-based claims after a death. Part of the early work in these cases is figuring out which corporate successor is responsible for the old Pennsylvania Railroad, since the railroad changed hands more than once after the steam era. Our guide for railroad workers with asbestos disease explains more.
Asbestos Lawsuits and Trust Claims for Non-Railroad Workers in Blair County
Contractors who worked inside the shops, workers from Altoona’s other industries, and family members exposed to dust carried home on work clothes follow a different path under Pennsylvania law. These cases typically involve product liability lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers and claims against the bankruptcy trusts that those companies were required to fund. A U.S. Government Accountability Office review found that these trusts held billions of dollars set aside to pay asbestos victims (GAO-11-819).
Mesothelioma Filing Deadlines for Altoona Cases
Pennsylvania sets a filing deadline for asbestos injury claims that generally begins when the illness is discovered, and a separate deadline for wrongful death claims that generally begins on the date of death. FELA claims follow their own federal time limit, which can run on a different schedule than the state rules. Which deadline applies, and when it began, are among the first questions a lawyer will answer. Our statute of limitations page explains these rules in plain language.
Philadelphia Asbestos Lawyer Serving Blair County Families
Michael Schafle is based in Philadelphia, home to the Court of Common Pleas’ dedicated asbestos program (In re: Asbestos Litigation, October Term 1986, No. 0001), where he is counsel of record. Being in Philadelphia changes very little about how a Blair County case is built. The firm requests and gathers railroad employment records, shop rosters, and medical files. Testimony can often be taken close to home or by video. Where a case is filed depends on the exposure history and the companies involved, and that decision is made on a case-by-case basis. The Pennsylvania city index shows the other communities he serves.
Free Mesothelioma Case Review for Altoona Families
Reach out through our free case review form, and you will get a straight answer about whether filing a claim makes sense for you.
Michael Schafle also runs a site dedicated to Altoona families, mesotheliomalawyeraltoonapa.com, with local exposure history, information on applicable deadlines, and the same free case review.