New York has one of the highest concentrations of asbestos exposure in the United States. The Brooklyn Navy Yard alone employed over 70,000 workers during World War II, and New York City’s dense construction and utility infrastructure exposed hundreds of thousands of additional workers to asbestos through the 1980s.
| Facility | Location | Industry | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Navy Yard (NYNS) | Brooklyn, NYC | Naval shipbuilding | Critical |
| Bethlehem Steel Lackawanna | Lackawanna (Buffalo) | Steel manufacturing | Critical |
| Republic Steel Buffalo | Buffalo | Steel manufacturing | Critical |
| Con Edison (NYC facilities) | Manhattan, Bronx | Electric utility | Critical |
| Todd Shipyards (Hoboken/Brooklyn) | NYC metro | Ship repair | Critical |
| Columbia Gas (Consolidated Edison predecessors) | Statewide | Gas utility | High |
| Stauffer Chemical | Niagara Falls | Chemical manufacturing | High |
| Kodak Park | Rochester | Chemical manufacturing | Moderate |
| Industry | Active Period | Primary Locations | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Shipbuilding | 1941–1966 | Brooklyn, Staten Island | Critical |
| Steel Manufacturing | 1900–1983 | Buffalo / Lackawanna | Critical |
| Electric Utilities | 1930–1985 | NYC (Con Edison), statewide | Critical |
| Building Construction | 1920–1978 | NYC, Albany, Buffalo | High |
| Chemical Manufacturing | 1940–1980 | Niagara Falls, Rochester | High |
| Railroad | 1920–1975 | Statewide (Penn Central, NYC RR) | Moderate |
| Claim Type | Deadline | Governing Law | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Injury | 3 years from diagnosis | NY CPLR §214-c | Discovery rule; 3-year SOL is longer than most states |
| Wrongful Death | 2 years from death | NY EPTL §5-4.1 | Note: different deadline than personal injury |
| Trust Fund Claims | Varies by trust | Federal trust agreements | Can file independently of lawsuit |
| VA Benefits | No deadline | Federal | Available for Navy Yard and other military-related exposure |
New York City courts — particularly Manhattan Supreme Court — have specialized asbestos litigation calendars (NYCAL) handling thousands of cases. New York courts are experienced with complex asbestos product liability litigation and have established procedures for accelerating trials for terminally ill plaintiffs.
Brooklyn Navy Yard: This is one of the most heavily litigated asbestos sites in the country. Workers who built or repaired ships at the Yard from the 1940s through its 1966 closure have filed tens of thousands of mesothelioma claims. Specific defendants include shipbuilders, insulation manufacturers (Owens Corning, Manville), and equipment suppliers.