Asbestos, once referred to as a ‘miracle mineral’ due to its resistance to heat and versatility, has caused detrimental impacts on occupational health and safety and corporate liability.
Therefore, it’s important to explore the industrial history of asbestos – its use, health effects, and the asbestos companies that exposed employees to this dangerous substance.
If you’ve been exposed to asbestos, it’s crucial to reach out to a Chicago asbestos lawyer near you.
3M is a multinational conglomerate involved in lawsuits over its production of asbestos-containing products – primarily through its industrial minerals division. Although 3M was not a principal player, it was accused of failing to warn workers about some of its asbestos-containing products.
The company made several key products that contained asbestos. These products included caulk, dust masks, and adhesives. Adhesives, caulks, dust masks, rubber-coated asbestos cloth, sticky tar caulk, and sealers contained the mineral from 1985 to 1987. The mineral was used in caulk and adhesives from 1935 to 1986.
Certain types of dust masks were manufactured with asbestos in the 1960s until the company stopped using it in 1985.
ABB Lummus Global Inc., now part of McDermott International, engaged in engineering and construction activities targeted towards oil and gas sector operations globally. Employees who worked in refineries and chemical plants were exposed to asbestos materials. ABB Lummus established an asbestos trust after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 21, 2006.
This was done to settle asbestos lawsuits. After the reorganization, ABB established the ABB Lummus Global Inc. 524(g) Asbestos Trust Fund to compensate asbestos-exposed victims. This fund included current and future claims against Lummus and a subsidiary, Combustion Engineering.
All products made by Lummus currently do not contain asbestos.
Armstrong Contracting and Supply (AC & S) was a leading distributor of asbestos-based insulation products. From 1957 to 1974, the company manufactured asbestos-containing products, which endangered the lives of people who worked in shipyards, factories, and construction sites. The company filed bankruptcy in 2002 after lawsuits challenged its manufacturing of products with the material.
A.P. Green Industries positioned itself as a foremost manufacturer of refractory products, some made with asbestos. These products were supplied to steel mills, power plants, and manufacturing companies.
In February 2002, A.P. Green filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and set up an asbestos fund to compensate victims. Its debt at the time was around $77 million.
Abex Corporation, previously known as American Brake Shoe & Foundry Company, manufactured brake linings and other friction materials containing asbestos fibers. Mechanics and garage workers launched several litigations against the company.
Claimants stated they developed mesothelioma as a result of inhaling asbestos dust while working on the components.
The predecessor of Abex was formed in 1902 when five manufacturers with patents for brake shoes for railroad cars set up an iron factory in Mahwah, New Jersey – casting the shoes.
Floor tiles and ceiling materials manufactured by Armstrong World Industries—some made with asbestos—were notably common in most parts of the US in the twentieth century.
The products were installed in many residential homes built from the 1920s to the mid-1970s. Therefore, both employees and homeowners were at risk for exposure. Even today, housing renovations can release toxic minerals into the atmosphere.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2000 due to asbestos liabilities. Because of its insolvency, it established a trust fund for victims in 2006. During this time, it faced over 175,000 lawsuits from personal injury claimants, all claiming to have developed asbestos-related diseases.
The first of these lawsuits was filed against AWI in 1969. Bankruptcy plans, according to section 524(g) of the bankruptcy code, may establish trusts to fairly compensate asbestos-exposure victims.
Many boilers manufactured by B & W Company for use in power-producing units were made with a layer of asbestos insulation. This affected power plant workers and others who worked with the company’s equipment.
Bestwall Gypsum (eventually acquired by Georgia-Pacific) once manufactured a joint compound with traces of asbestos fibers and other building materials. As a result, people in the construction industry who worked with the materials have filed lawsuits against the company.
Borg Warners produced clutch plates containing asbestos fibers. The company settled many lawsuits involving mechanics who sought compensation after being exposed to its products.
C.E.Thurston was an insulation contractor who dealt with asbestos products. Over time, there have been several lawsuits involving former workers and people who came into contact with asbestos on work sites where Thurston was active at the time.
Celotex had an extensive line of products, including insulations and roofing materials that contained asbestos. In 1990, Celotex declared bankruptcy and set up a fund to compensate litigants.
One of the most famous asbestos manufacturers, GAF Corporation, originally founded as the General Aniline & Film Corporation, became a major player in the roofing materials industry.
The company acquired Ruberoid Co. in 1967 and inherited its asbestos-related liabilities. The company produced roof shingles, siding and other building materials that contained asbestos.
In 2001, due to an increasing number of lawsuits concerning asbestos, GAF filed for bankruptcy and established the G-I Holdings Inc.’s Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust in 2009 to compensate claims.
General Electric is one the world’s largest conglomerates that used to work with asbestos in various sectors – such as turbines, consumer appliances and electrical devices.
While not a primary producer of asbestos products, GE has faced litigation from workers who were exposed to asbestos diseases through their use of GE products in power plants or other industrial areas.
For many years, leading car manufacturer, General Motors employed brake linings, clutch facings, and gaskets – all of which contained deadly substances such as asbestos dust particles. Mechanics or factory workers who worked with GM items or were based at its premises have sued the firm.
Gold Bond was National Gypsum Company’s brand name for different construction materials which included joint compound and texture sprays that contained asbestos.
A trust fund was established in 1993 to handle asbestos claims related to Gold Bond and other National Gypsum Company products.
Honeywell (formerly Allied Signal) has been involved in lawsuits regarding the use of brake linings and refractory materials containing asbestos within the Honeywell product line over the years.
Honeywell acquired Bendix Corporation in 1983, thereby inheriting the firm’s automotive friction product liabilities related to asbestos applications.
Johns-Manville once was one of the largest makers of asbestos-based goods in the U.S. The company produced asbestos building materials, such as roofing, piping, and insulation. It was especially well-known for its insulation during its peak years, when it was also listed as one of Fortune’s top 500 companies. Its assets, in 1981, totaled $2.3 billion.
In 1982, it was one of the first major corporations to file for bankruptcy due to asbestos litigation. This led to the establishment of the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust in 1988, becoming a model for subsequent asbestos trusts established by other asbestos-related manufacturers.
Asbestos claims have also been filed against John Deere. The lawsuits resulted from the company’s use of asbestos-containing parts in its agricultural and construction machinery and equipment. Operators and drivers were exposed to asbestos during repairs when old John Deere brake linings and gaskets contained the material.
