The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is a public utility company that serves over 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, New York. Established in 1985, LIPA has played a crucial role in providing electricity to homes and businesses across the region for decades.
As a major utility provider, LIPA operates and maintains numerous power plants, substations, and electrical infrastructure throughout Long Island. Like many older industrial facilities, some of LIPA's buildings and equipment may have contained asbestos-containing materials, potentially exposing workers to harmful asbestos fibers.
Exposure to asbestos can lead to severe health conditions, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Other less common but equally serious diseases linked to asbestos exposure include ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer, renal (kidney) cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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The lawyers at the Porter Law Group have decades of experience representing individuals and families whose lives have been devastated by catastrophic injuries. We have obtained some of the largest settlements and verdicts in courts throughout the State of New York. We are a state-wide firm that handles cases with a hometown feel.
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When you or a loved one's life has been devastated by a serious personal injury in Long Island, don't hire a lawyer without calling the Porter Law Group to learn why so many of our clients are thankful they trusted us with their case in their time of need.
If you or a loved one worked at LIPA facilities and have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, you may be entitled to compensation. The Porter Law Group has extensive experience in handling complex personal injury cases. We understand the challenges faced by individuals and families affected by these devastating diseases and are committed to fighting for your rights.
Don't let the statute of limitations prevent you from seeking justice. To learn more about how we can help you, view the results we've achieved for previous clients throughout the State.
LIPA (Long Island Power Authority) was formally created by the New York State Legislature through the Long Island Power Authority Act of 1986 as a corporate, municipal agency and political subdivision of the State of New York. In 1998, LIPA became the provider of electric service for Long Island and the Rockaways after acquiring the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) as a wholly-owned subsidiary through a merger.
LILCO originally owned and operated fossil-fueled generating plants, transmission and distribution systems, and held an 18% ownership interest in Unit 2 of the Nine Mile Point nuclear electric generating station. Following the acquisition, LIPA retained LILCO's electric transmission and distribution systems, certain agreements and contracts for power supply, and the Nine Mile Point interest, while LILCO's fossil-fueled generating units, employees, and entire gas supply system were transferred to subsidiaries of KeySpan Corporation.
Why This Distinction Matters for Asbestos Claims
The distinction between LILCO and LIPA is crucial for asbestos exposure claims because LIPA acquired LILCO's assets and liabilities, including responsibility for facilities where asbestos exposure occurred during LILCO's construction and operation of power plants from the 1940s through the 1990s. This means that workers who were exposed to asbestos at LILCO facilities may have legal claims against LIPA as the successor entity that assumed these liabilities.
LILCO/LIPA operated several major power stations on Long Island where asbestos exposure occurred during construction and operation. These facilities used massive quantities of asbestos-containing materials for insulation and fireproofing, creating significant exposure risks for workers.
Northport Power Station: Located in Northport, this facility was a primary site of asbestos exposure during construction from 1966 to 1972. The station includes multiple units that operated on coal and later natural gas. Workers at this site faced particularly hazardous conditions due to extensive use of asbestos insulation during the construction period.
E.F. Barrett Power Station: Situated in Island Park on Barnum's Channel in western Nassau County, the Barrett station consisted of two steam units commissioned in 1956 and 1963, each rated at approximately 190 megawatts. LILCO added 12 gas turbine-generators in the early 1970s to produce an additional 305 megawatts. The construction and maintenance of these units involved substantial asbestos-containing materials.
Port Jefferson Power Plant: Located in Brookhaven, this facility generates power through two natural gas/oil-fired steam-generating units built in 1948 and 1950, with units entering service in 1958 and 1960. Given the time period of construction, extensive asbestos materials were used throughout the facility.
Peaking Plants: Between 1962 and 1975, LILCO constructed peaking plants on 11 sites across Long Island, including West Babylon, West Hampton, Holtsville, Glenwood, Shoreham, Wading River, and Southold. All of these facilities incorporated asbestos-containing materials during their construction.
During construction of these plants, LILCO employed contractors including Treadwell Corp., T.C. O'Connor, and Robert Keasbey. Combustion Engineering manufactured and erected massive 8-10 story boilers that contractors insulated with massive quantities of asbestos-containing insulation.
Workers faced exposure through multiple scenarios. Insulators sprayed copious quantities of asbestos mixture throughout the plants while standing atop boilers, creating horrendous overspray that required powerhouse workers to blow off excess insulation with compressed air. Additionally, workers cut and installed asbestos-containing block insulation on boilers, precipitators, turbines, and miles of piping, held in place with asbestos-containing cement that insulators mixed with water and trowels.
These work practices created widespread contamination throughout the facilities, exposing not only the workers directly handling asbestos materials but also other workers performing tasks in proximity to these operations.
Several categories of workers faced elevated asbestos exposure risks at LILCO/LIPA facilities due to the nature of their work and the extensive use of asbestos materials in power plant construction and maintenance.
Insulators: These workers directly handled asbestos insulation materials, spraying asbestos onto boilers and applying block insulation to equipment and piping. They mixed powdered asbestos cement with water, creating immediate exposure and a legacy of exposure for subsequent workers who would later disturb or repair the insulation.
Construction Workers: During plant construction from the 1940s through 1970s, construction workers were exposed to visible asbestos dust from spray insulation, pipe insulation, cutting asbestos block, and mixing asbestos cement. The construction periods represented times of particularly intense exposure as massive quantities of asbestos materials were installed throughout the facilities.
Powerhouse Crews: Workers who operated and maintained the plants, including welders, pipefitters, electricians, boiler operators, and maintenance technicians, were exposed when working near asbestos insulation or when disturbing existing insulation during repairs. These workers faced ongoing exposure throughout their careers as they performed routine maintenance and emergency repairs on asbestos-insulated equipment.
Welders and Contract Workers: These workers performed tasks in close proximity to asbestos insulation contractors who created asbestos dust. Evidence from legal cases has shown that LILCO required these workers to perform their duties without warnings or protective equipment, even when working in areas with visible asbestos contamination.
Power plant workers faced particular risks because asbestos was widely used as thermal insulation in power stations due to its heat resistance and fireproofing qualities. The industrial conditions at LILCO facilities were particularly hazardous. Expert testimony in legal cases has demonstrated that visible asbestos dust at LILCO's Northport facility exceeded by more than 5 times the Threshold Limit Value (Maximum Allowable Concentration) adopted in New York State for workplace asbestos exposures during the construction years.
Despite these hazardous conditions, LILCO took no action to post warnings or provide protective equipment to prevent or reduce asbestos dust exposure for more than two years during construction. This failure to protect workers has resulted in numerous cases of asbestos-related diseases among former LILCO employees and contractors.
Former LILCO or LIPA Worker Diagnosed with Mesothelioma?
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Asbestos exposure can lead to several serious health conditions, including:
Asbestos exposure increases the risk of developing several cancers. Lung cancer is a malignant tumor that invades and blocks the lung's air passages, with smoking tobacco combined with asbestos exposure greatly increasing the chance of developing lung cancer.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the membrane lining the lungs and chest cavity, abdominal cavity, or other organs. Pleural mesothelioma is considered a signal tumor for asbestos exposure, as other causes are uncommon. Signs of mesothelioma often do not appear until 30 to 40 years after exposure to asbestos. The estimated median interval from initial occupational asbestos exposure to death is 32 years, with a range of 13 to 70 years.
Asbestos exposure can also cause cancer of the larynx and ovary, with current evidence suggesting it may cause cancer of the pharynx, stomach, and colorectum.
Asbestosis is scarring in the lungs caused by breathing asbestos fibers, making it harder for oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass in and out of the lungs and causing breathing difficulties. Asbestosis usually occurs from very high exposures over a long time and develops in around 50% of adults with occupational asbestos exposure.
Pleural disease causes changes in the membrane surrounding the lungs and chest cavity. The membrane may become thicker throughout or in isolated areas, and fluid may build up around the lungs. These conditions can significantly impact breathing and overall quality of life.
Asbestos-associated respiratory diseases have long latency periods of 10 to 40 years or more, depending on the disease and exposure factors. This long latency period means that workers may not develop symptoms until decades after their exposure at LILCO/LIPA facilities.
Mesothelioma is a devastating cancer with a long latency period, often taking 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure for symptoms to appear. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and have a history of working at LIPA or other industrial facilities on Long Island, you may be eligible for compensation.
The Porter Law Group understands the physical, emotional, and financial toll that mesothelioma takes on patients and their families. We are dedicated to helping you navigate the legal process and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and learn about your legal options.
Several parties may be held liable for asbestos exposure, including:
Determining liability in asbestos cases can be complex, requiring thorough investigations and research. The Porter Law Group has the resources and expertise to identify potentially responsible parties and build a strong case on your behalf. Contact us to learn how we can assist you in navigating this challenging process.
Asbestos-related diseases have a long latency period, often taking decades for symptoms to manifest. This unique characteristic is taken into account by New York's "discovery rule" for asbestos cases. Under this rule, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim begins when the illness is discovered or should have been discovered with reasonable diligence, rather than from the date of exposure.
For personal injury claims in New York, the statute of limitations is generally three years from the date of discovery. In cases of wrongful death due to asbestos-related diseases, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of death. Given the complexity of these timelines and the importance of timely action, it's crucial to seek legal counsel as soon as possible.
The Porter Law Group can help you understand how these rules apply to your specific case and ensure that your claim is filed within the appropriate timeframe.
In asbestos exposure cases, you may be eligible for compensation for various damages, including:
The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) acquired the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 1998 through a merger. LIPA retained LILCO's electric transmission and distribution systems, along with certain assets and liabilities.
LILCO's power plants were constructed during the height of asbestos use in insulation, pipe coverings, and other materials common in power plants from the 1940s through the 1970s. Massive quantities of asbestos-containing insulation were used on boilers, turbines, and miles of piping at LILCO facilities. This widespread use of asbestos materials created significant exposure risks for workers during both construction and operation of these facilities.
LILCO operated major power stations at Northport, Port Jefferson (in Brookhaven), and the E.F. Barrett station in Island Park on Barnum's Channel in western Nassau County. The Barrett station units were commissioned in 1956 and 1963, while Port Jefferson units entered service in 1948-1950 and 1958-1960.
LILCO also constructed peaking plants on 11 sites across Long Island between 1962 and 1975, including West Babylon, West Hampton, Holtsville, Glenwood, Shoreham, Wading River, and Southold. All of these facilities used asbestos-containing materials for insulation and fireproofing during their construction and operation.
Workers most exposed to asbestos at LILCO facilities included insulators who directly handled asbestos materials, construction workers during plant construction, powerhouse crews (welders, pipefitters, electricians, boiler operators), and maintenance technicians.
Asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer (which is greatly increased when combined with smoking), mesothelioma (a rare cancer with signs appearing 30-40 years after exposure), and cancers of the larynx and ovary. Non-cancer diseases include asbestosis (lung scarring from high exposures) and pleural disease (changes in the membrane surrounding the lungs). These diseases have long latency periods of 10 to 40 years or more.
In 2014, a jury awarded $7 million to Ralph North, a contract worker who developed mesothelioma after working for years at LILCO's Northport Power Station from 1966 to 1972. North was a welder who was exposed to asbestos because LILCO required him to perform his work in close proximity to asbestos insulation contractors creating asbestos dust.
The jury found LILCO liable because it was negligent and exercised supervisory control over the dangerous work of contractors that exposed North to asbestos. During trial, testimony showed that North was exposed to visible asbestos dust that exceeded by more than 5 times the Maximum Allowable Concentration adopted in New York State, and LILCO took no action to post warnings or provide protective equipment.
Seeking Justice for Asbestos-Related Illnesses from LIPA Exposure?
Reach out to our experienced team for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation to explore your legal rights.
At the Porter Law Group, we are committed to providing compassionate, personalized legal representation to individuals and families affected by asbestos exposure. Our team of skilled attorneys has extensive experience in handling complex personal injury cases throughout New York State. We understand the unique challenges faced by asbestos victims and are dedicated to fighting for the compensation you deserve. With our resources, expertise, and commitment to client satisfaction, we strive to achieve the best possible outcome for your case.
The Porter Law Group offers comprehensive legal support for asbestos exposure victims. We handle all aspects of your case, from conducting thorough investigations and gathering evidence to negotiating with insurance companies and representing you in court if necessary. Our team works diligently to build a strong case, proving the connection between your asbestos exposure and your illness. We aim to secure fair compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages related to your condition.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness after working at Long Island Power Authority or any other industrial facility in New York, don't face this challenging time alone. The Porter Law Group is here to help you navigate the legal process and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Call us today at 833-PORTER9 or email info@porterlawteam.com for a free, no-obligation consultation. Remember, we work on a contingency fee basis, so you don't pay unless we win your case. Let us put our experience and resources to work for you and your family.
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