EaglePicher Industries Inc.
EaglePicher Corporation began as Eagle-Picher Lead in 1916 after a paint pigment manufacturer named Eagle merged with a lead mining company named Picher. Eagle-Picher Lead began using minerals from mining zinc and diatomaceous earth to create new products such as storage batteries for industrial use.
Eagle-Picher Lead used these minerals to make storage batteries that were used by the U.S. military in WWII. In later years, after becoming known as “EaglePicher,” the company began producing asbestos-based products such as insulation. Many of these products were also supplied to the U.S. military.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) became effective on January 1, 1977, which began the first regulations of asbestos use in products. EaglePicher stopped using asbestos in the mid-1970s, but by this time thousands of people had already been exposed to asbestos through either work-related contact or indirect contact from a spouse or other family member. As a result, the company has been named in more than 160,000 asbestos personal injury claims since it stopped using the mineral. Many of these claims have stemmed from the development of mesothelioma.
EaglePicher Asbestos Products and At-Risk Occupations
Asbestos was a main ingredient in EaglePicher's insulation, but this wasn't the only product that contained the mineral. EaglePicher also manufactured asbestos cement. This product was marketed under Hylo, Super 66 and One Cote. Individuals that may have been exposed to asbestos through contact with EaglePicher insulation or cement worked in the following industries or occupations:
- Aerospace
- Construction
- Insulator
- Plumber
- Welder
- Railroad
Because EaglePicher supplied asbestos products to the U.S. military, military service workers may have been exposed as well.
EaglePicher and Asbestos Litigation
EaglePicher has been a defendant in thousands of claims involving mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Many cases have been settled while others are pending. One well-known case involved a U.S. Navy sheet metal worker named Charles Press. From 1941 through 1979, Mr. Press worked at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. He was exposed to asbestos-based insulation products manufactured by a number of firms, including EaglePicher. In 1979, Mr. and Mrs. Press filed a suit against EaglePicher and 21 other manufacturers. Four years later, Press passed away from an asbestos-related illness. Ms. Press pursued the suit and won. In 1984, EaglePicher and seven other defendants were ordered to pay $575,000 to Ms. Press. She received $68,000 from Eagle-Picher.
In 1990, U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein ordered a suspension of cases involving an estimated 70,000 claimants in other state and Federal courts, but he also ordered EaglePicher to pay $45 million to thousands of victims whose claims had previously been settled.
EaglePicher Bankruptcy and Trust Fund
The number of personal injury claims against EaglePicher began to grow at a slow pace between the late 1970s and early 1980s. By this time, EaglePicher had collected 19,000 asbestos injury claims, mainly related to the company's asbestos insulation products. By 1990, the company faced 160,000 claims. EaglePicher filed for bankruptcy a year later.
In 1997, the company was out of bankruptcy, but it still had thousands of pending and future asbestos claims to deal with. The company was ordered to fund the Eagle-Picher Industries Personal Injury Settlement Trust (EPI Trust), which consists of 10 million shares of stock, $387 million in cash, ten-year debentures, notes for tax refunds and three-year notes.
EaglePicher Future
The EPI Trust has settled most asbestos claims and the trust has enough funds to settle any future claims. In the meantime, EaglePicher Corporation has continued to grow and its EaglePicher Technology company remains a leader in the technology field. The company provides products and services to the automotive, brewing, defense, plastics, portable water, space and medical industries.
In December 2007, the company received a $2.9 million defense contract as part of the 2008 Defense Appropriations Bill. The company also wrote the guide for safe handling of carcinogens for the National Cancer Institute. If you or anyone you know has been exposed to asbestos products made by EaglePicher, you may be at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. It is recommended to receive medical exams that check for asbestos-related conditions.
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© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Thursday, February 9th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sponsored by a law firm concentrating in asbestos litigation, The Peterson Firm, LLP with offices at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington DC 20036.
