The Buffalo Gas Light Company was located at 249 West Genesee Street in Buffalo, New York. The Buffalo Gas Light Company began manufacturing illuminating gas from coal in 1848. The Historic Romanesque façade was designed by architect John H. Selkirk and built in 1859. The National Fuel Garage was an auto mechanic shop on site at the Buffalo Gas Light Company.  The Buffalo Gas Light Company was acquired by The National Fuel Gas Company in the early 1900s. The National Fuel Gas Company demolished its garage in 2000, but it preserved the façade and incorporated it into the headquarters of HealthNow New York.  Helpers, garage men and mechanics working for National Fuel may have unknowingly been exposed to asbestos up until the late 1970s.

The National Fuel Garage provided an array of automotive services, including brake repair and maintenance, tire replacement, tune-ups, inspections and electrical work. Up until the 1990s, most passenger car and truck brake linings contained high concentrations of chrysotile asbestos, a carcinogenic fiber that is potentially deadly when inhaled. Because brake pads, linings and shoes wear out and require frequent replacement, mechanics who replaced and repaired braking systems on motor vehicles are put at risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.  During each process of the brake pad or brake lining replacement process, asbestos fibers are released.  Experts consider sanding and bench grinding of asbestos-containing brake linings to be the most significant source of asbestos exposure during the brake replacement process. Asbestos dust created from sanding and grinding brake parts has been known to linger in the air of a workspace for up to three to four days after the completion of replacement brake work.

Asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer, have become more common among brake and auto mechanics. Significant exposure to asbestos occurred during the repair and maintenance of asbestos-containing brake pads and linings, clutch facings and gaskets. If you or a loved one has been exposed to mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, contact us regarding your legal rights.