C.E. Thurston & Sons distributed, installed, repaired and removed asbestos insulation products until the late 1970s. Asbestos litigation forced the company to file for bankruptcy in 2003. A trust fund was established in 2006 with $53 million to handle asbestos claims.
Quick Facts About C. E. Thurston & Sons Trust Fund and Lawsuits
Founded:
1919
Years Operated:
1919 - present
Headquarters:
Norfolk, Virginia
Business:
Insulation and refractory contracting
Asbestos Trust:
Yes
Bankruptcy Status:
Filed Aug. 18, 2003 and reorganized on March 30, 2006
Overview of the C. E. Thurston & Sons Asbestos Trust
Facing costly asbestos litigation, Thurston & Sons filed for bankruptcy in 2003. The company emerged from these proceedings in 2006 and created its asbestos trust fund, which remains active today and handles all asbestos claims.
C.E. Thurston & Sons Trust Updates
The current payment percentage is 50%.
Mesothelioma has a scheduled payment of $25,000.
Lung cancer has a scheduled payment of $4,650.
Other cancers have a scheduled payment of $1,400.
The current asbestos trust fund wasn’t the company’s first attempt to manage claims related to its asbestos products. In 1985, Thurston and 33 other companies entered into the Wellington Agreement. This voluntary, private system created the Asbestos Claims Facility to evaluate, defend and settle claims for people with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. It lasted for 2 years before the agreement dissolved.
A similar entity, the Center for Claims Resolution, was formed shortly after the Wellington Agreement fell apart. The center operated until 2001, at which point Thurston handled claims on its own until its own trust fund was created.
Legal Help for People Exposed to C.E. Thurston & Sons Asbestos Products
Experienced asbestos lawyers help people exposed to C.E. Thurston & Sons insulation file and pursue compensation to assist with treatment costs, travel expenses to and from cancer centers and lost wages. Your lawyer will file your claim with the C.E. Thurston & Sons Asbestos Trust on time and with all of the necessary evidence supporting your claim.
They’ll also review your exposure history to determine if other asbestos products and other companies may be involved. If these companies don’t have trusts, compensation may be pursued through a mesothelioma lawsuit. Legal support eases the process and affords you expert help in assessing all of your compensation options.
Finding the right lawyer for you and your family is simplified when working with a Patient Advocate. They can match you with someone experienced in cases like yours and whose approach and communication style work for you. They’ll also connect you with comprehensive medical, support and other family resources.
Exposed to Asbestos at C. E. Thurston & Sons?
Gain access to trust funds, grants and other forms of compensation for you or your loved ones.
Asbestos Litigation Involving C.E. Thurston & Sons
C. E. Thurston & Sons faced thousands of asbestos-related lawsuits because of its distribution of asbestos products. In 1997, prior to filing for bankruptcy, the company was part of a precedent-setting asbestos case that involved the Federal Enclave Clause, which protects government lands from asbestos litigation.
In McCormick v. C. E. Thurston & Sons, the wife of Paul C. Cochran filed a wrongful death lawsuit on his behalf. Cochran died from mesothelioma cancer after being exposed to asbestos fibers while serving aboard the USS Nimitz.
The USS Nimitz was docked at Norfolk Naval Base (considered a federal enclave) for part of its tour, but the plaintiff argued that a Navy vessel cannot be considered a federal enclave. The court agreed.
The decision made it clear that defendants of asbestos litigation involving Navy vessels couldn’t remove themselves from cases with claims of circumstances under the Federal Enclave Clause. The case is often cited in current asbestos lawsuits.
C.E. Thurston & Sons’ History With Asbestos
C.E. Thurston and Sons became involved in asbestos litigation without ever manufacturing a single asbestos-containing product. Thurston installed, repaired, removed and distributed asbestos insulation other companies produced until the late 1970s. Its liability stems from allowing former workers to handle the products of other asbestos companies while knowing they were hazardous.
Thurston employees who handled asbestos insulation and developed asbestos-related diseases went on to sue the company for compensation. People who worked around or removed asbestos materials Thurston installed have also sued the company.
Workers removing asbestos tank insulation.
Workers at Risk of Exposure to Asbestos Products Installed by Thurston
Although Thurston didn’t manufacture asbestos-containing products, it did employ workers to distribute and handle asbestos insulation until the late 1970s. As a result, some of their former employees have developed asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. Anyone who worked with asbestos products C. E. Thurston distributed, even after they were installed, was at risk of asbestos exposure.
Higher Risk Jobs
Chemical plant workers
Factory workers
Industrial workers
Insulators
Paper mill workers
Power plant workers
Railroad workers
Shipyard workers
Tobacco factory workers
Veterans of the armed forces
The shipbuilding industry extensively used asbestos, and Thurston had a close business relationship with the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Former employees of this yard may have been exposed to asbestos insulation C. E. Thurston employees installed.
A 2018 review published in Environmental Health shows insulation workers had one of the highest mortality rates among asbestos-exposed Italian shipyard workers employed between 1960 and 1981. Insulation installers and removers who worked with asbestos-containing insulation products are at high risk of developing mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestos Products Thurston Distributed and Installed
C.E. Thurston & Sons didn’t make asbestos products, but it distributed a range of asbestos insulation products designed to protect against extreme temperatures in industrial and marine environments. The company supplied these materials to contractors and workers who installed them in boilers, pipes and other high-heat equipment.
Asbestos Products Thurston Worked With
Asbestos blankets
Asbestos canvas
Asbestos joint compounds
Asbestos wallboards
Thermal insulation materials
These asbestos products were commonly used to wrap pipes, insulate boilers and fireproof walls in shipyards, power plants and industrial facilities. Workers applied joint compounds to seal wallboard seams and draped asbestos blankets and canvas over equipment requiring heat protection. The friable nature of these materials meant that cutting, fitting or removing them released asbestos dust into the work environment.
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D. Carl Money is an attorney at Nemeroff Law. He has devoted his career to fighting for workers diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families. Money has more than 25 years of experience fighting for people with asbestos-related diseases. He’s licensed in Texas, New York, England and Wales and belongs to various legal organizations across the U.S. and U.K.
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