CertainTeed Corporation manufactured asbestos-containing construction materials from 1930 to 1993. Asbestos litigation forced its subsidiary, DBMP, to file for bankruptcy in 2020. The reorganization plan will create a trust fund to handle future asbestos claims.
Quick Facts About CertainTeed Corporation Lawsuits and Compensation
Founded:
1904
Years Operated:
1904-present
Headquarters:
Valley Forge, PA
Business:
Manufacturer of building materials
Asbestos Trust:
No
Bankruptcy Status:
Did not file
Compensation and the CertainTeed Corporation Asbestos Trust Fund
If you developed mesothelioma or another asbestos disease from CertainTeed products, you’ll need to work with an asbestos attorney who specializes in these cases. Because the trust isn’t finalized yet, the claims process is more complex than with established trusts.
CertainTeed created DBMP LLC in October 2019 to handle all asbestos liabilities from products like cement pipes and roof coatings used between the 1930s and 1993. DBMP filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2020, listing assets and debts of up to $1 billion. The structure and claim process for its future asbestos trust fund are still being determined through the court proceedings.
Your mesothelioma lawyer will determine the current filing requirements and any court deadlines to advocate for your compensation throughout the company’s bankruptcy process. They’ll handle all necessary paperwork with the bankruptcy court and gather your medical records and proof of asbestos exposure.
Legal Help for People Exposed to CertainTeed Corporation Asbestos Products
People diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result of CertainTeed cement pipes or roof coatings should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. Given DBMP LLC’s bankruptcy proceedings and the establishment of a trust are ongoing, an experienced asbestos attorney is essential to navigate your compensation options.
In addition to pursuing compensation through the company’s future asbestos trust fund, people may also pursue mesothelioma lawsuits against other companies involved in exposure. Your lawyer will examine your exposure history, all products you encountered and determine the best path forward to help you secure mesothelioma compensation.
Finding the right lawyer for you and your family can be challenging. A Patient Advocate will listen to the details of your case and your family’s goals and preferences to match you to an experienced attorney. They’ll also schedule appointments with leaders in mesothelioma treatment, navigate your insurance, manage your VA benefits claims and connect you with support groups and free resources for survivors and caregivers.
CertainTeed was listed as a defendant in tens of thousands of lawsuits related to the company’s past use of asbestos in its products. In 2017, plaintiffs filed 3,100 asbestos claims against the company, and another 2,600 were filed in 2018. CertainTeed has paid out millions in settlements and verdict awards, including a 9-figure award.
Asbestos Lawsuits Filed Against CertainTeed
$208.8 million: Rhonda Evans, the wife of a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee, developed mesothelioma from washing her husband’s work clothes for 25 years. He had worked with CertainTeed’s asbestos-containing products. A Central District Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded Evans these damages in April 2010.
$40 million: Central Wesleyan College, now Southern Wesleyan University in central South Carolina, filed a lawsuit on behalf of public and private colleges and universities in 1987 over property damage from asbestos in their facilities. Settlements in the case totaled more than $40 million. At least 30 lawsuits went to trial, with results split between property owners and defendants, and about 14,000 claims were left pending against CertainTeed.
$3.4 million: Ralph Pierce, a retired machine operator and supervisor, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2003 after working with CertainTeed’s asbestos cement pipes. He worked at the West Contra Costa County Wastewater District from 1972 to 1997. A San Francisco jury awarded him these damages in May 2005.
These cases highlight how knowledgeable attorneys have proven exposure to asbestos products like CertainTeed’s and secured compensation via detailed evidence and legal action. People diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases should contact an attorney quickly to review their legal options.
In the California case Evans v. A.W. Chesterton Co., Rhonda Evans, the wife of a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee of 25 years, developed mesothelioma. The secondhand exposure came from washing her husband’s clothes for 25 years. Her husband had worked with CertainTeed’s asbestos-containing products, which she claimed caused her cancer. Evans was awarded $208.8 million in April 2010 by a Central District Los Angeles Superior Court jury.
In Pierce v. CertainTeed Corporation, a 70-year-old retired machine operator and supervisor filed a lawsuit against CertainTeed, claiming his cancer was caused by exposure to its asbestos products. Ralph Pierce was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2003, which he said was caused by exposure to CertainTeed’s asbestos cement pipes. He was exposed while working at the West Contra Costa County Wastewater District from 1972 to 1997. He was awarded more than $3.4 million by a San Francisco jury in May 2005.
In 1987, Central Wesleyan College (now Southern Wesleyan University) in Central, South Carolina, filed a lawsuit on behalf of a class of public and private colleges and universities that had experienced property damage because of asbestos in their facilities. Settlements in the case reached an aggregate of more than $40 million. At least 30 lawsuits went to trial, with results split between property owners and defendants, and some 14,000 claims were left pending against CertainTeed.
In February 2018, an Arizona state court cleared CertainTeed from a $5 million asbestos wrongful death lawsuit. The jury ruled that the building materials company was not responsible for the death of Francisco Herrera, whose family claimed he developed mesothelioma after years of inhaling dust generated by sawing asbestos cement pipes. Attorneys for CertainTeed successfully argued that the jury did not have sufficient evidence to identify CertainTeed’s pipes as the primary cause of Herrera’s cancer.
More Than $32 Billion in Trust Funds Available
Asbestos trust funds were created to help people exposed to asbestos. We make it simple to start your claim.
From the 1930s through 1993, CertainTeed produced many products that incorporated asbestos fibers, including cement pipes and roof coatings. During this time, asbestos was an affordable mineral used to strengthen and make many construction materials heat-resistant.
CertainTeed’s asbestos-containing products were used in a variety of industries, including shipbuilding and water utilities. Many workers in these industries developed mesothelioma and lung cancer, suing CertainTeed to cover lost wages and medical costs.
Since 2002, the company’s asbestos liabilities have cost it more than $2 billion. Until 2020, CertainTeed was handling its asbestos liabilities on an annual basis to avoid resorting to bankruptcy. Under the weight of 60,000 outstanding asbestos lawsuits, 3,200 of which were in active litigation, the company restructured and created a division that filed for bankruptcy.
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From CertainTeed Corporation
Many people were at risk of asbestos exposure at work because of CertainTeed’s products. Workers’ tasks often involved handling materials containing asbestos, putting them in direct contact with harmful fibers.
Higher Risk Occupations
Construction workers
Demolition workers
Home repair workers
Insulators
Painters
Pipefitters
Plumbers
Road workers
Roofers
U.S. Navy veterans
Employees at CertainTeed manufacturing plants faced high levels of occupational exposure. Several of these plants are now U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-managed Superfund sites. Notable locations include: Ambler, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; and Alviso, California. Residents living near these plants have also been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases from environmental contamination.
CertainTeed’s asbestos products contained between 4% and 29% asbestos. The company used chrysotile asbestos and crocidolite asbestos. Crocidolite is considered more carcinogenic than chrysotile.
CertainTeed Brand Asbestos Products
Asbestos base flashing
Asbestos cap sheet
Asbestos cement pipe
Asbestos cement sheets
Asbestos roof coating
Asphalt foundation coating
Base sheet
Blind nailing cement
Cold process asphalt
Cold process cement
Flexible trainline
Fluid-tite
Joint treating compound
Plastic cement
Sealing cement
Stabilized roof coating
Wet seal plastic cement
People were exposed when CertainTeed’s products were repaired, maintained, removed or disturbed in a way that released asbestos fibers into the air. Occupational exposure is one of the leading causes of death associated with asbestos. A 2022 European Commission report noted that in 2019 alone, more than 70,000 workers died from past exposure to asbestos.
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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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