Railroad Workers
Union locals: BLE · SMART-TD · BMWE — UP, BNSF, Frisco, MoPac
How Railroad Workers Were Exposed to Asbestos
During normal duties, Railroad Workers were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials in Missouri industrial, commercial, and public construction work from the 1930s through the 1980s. Documented exposure pathways drawn from public litigation records and industrial hygiene literature include:
- Servicing locomotives with asbestos-lagged boilers (steam era) and brake shoes
- Maintaining and repairing asbestos-insulated steam-heat lines on passenger cars
- Working in locomotive shops with asbestos-containing arc chutes and friction
- Repacking journal boxes and brake cylinders with asbestos packing
- Stripping asbestos pipe covering in roundhouses and maintenance shops
Why This Matters for Missouri Workers
If you worked as a railroad workers in Missouri during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural disease, you may have a legal claim — even if your employer is no longer in business. Many asbestos product manufacturers have established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay qualified claimants based on documented exposure history.
Missouri Filing Deadlines — Two Separate Clocks
Missouri keeps the personal-injury clock (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120 — 5 years from diagnosis) and the wrongful-death clock (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.100 — 3 years from date of death) on separate, independent tracks. Preserving one does not extend the other. An experienced Missouri asbestos attorney can keep both options open as your situation evolves.
Talk to an Experienced Missouri Asbestos Attorney
A free, confidential consultation with O’Brien Law Firm in St. Louis can evaluate your specific exposure history and filing-deadline situation. No fee unless they recover compensation.
☎ (314) 588-0558