J. T. Thorpe Inc.
J.T. Thorpe used refractory materials containing the toxic mineral in the installation of heavy industrial equipment throughout California during the peak decades of asbestos use in the U.S. Today, a special trust fund exists to compensate workers harmed by asbestos exposure.
Written by D. Carl Money | Edited by Amy Edel | Last Update: October 6, 2025
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Founded:1906 -
Years Operated:1906 – present -
Headquarters:Northern California -
Business:Industrial refractory contractor -
Asbestos Trust:Yes -
Bankruptcy Status:Filed in 2002, emerged in 2006
J.T. Thorpe’s History With Asbestos
J.T. Thorpe used asbestos extensively in its insulation and refractory materials for industrial equipment. The company specialized in constructing and repairing equipment that operated in extreme heat or acidic conditions, such as steam boilers, furnaces and chemical refining machinery.
For decades, asbestos fibers strengthened these materials and made them more heat resistant. Executives denied knowledge of asbestos’s link to diseases like mesothelioma cancer until mounting evidence led to thousands of lawsuits in the 1970s and 1980s. J.T. Thorpe stopped using asbestos-containing materials in the 1970s.
Facing rising litigation costs, J.T. Thorpe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002. The company created an asbestos trust fund to handle future asbestos claims. Today, it operates as J.T. Thorpe & Sons Inc.
Development of J.T. Thorpe Trust
J.T. Thorpe created the J.T. Thorpe Settlement Trust in 2006 during bankruptcy to compensate people exposed to asbestos through its products. As of December 31, 2024, the trust reported total assets of $126.3 million, liabilities of $11.7 million and $114.6 million in funds available for claimants.
In 2024, the trust received 762 claims, paid 150 and made settlement offers on 147 more. The trust reviews its payment percentage regularly and confirmed a 50% rate in February 2025. Payments include cost-of-living adjustments, with a maximum annual payout for 2025 set at $6,698,960.
Additional J.T. Thorpe Trusts
- Thorpe Insulation Settlement Trust: Covers asbestos claims specifically from insulation work in Southern California, created in 2010.
- J.T. Thorpe Company Successor Trust: Covers asbestos claims from refractory contracting in Texas and Louisiana, established in 2004.
The J.T. Thorpe Settlement Trust also manages investments, monitors liquidity and shares services with the Western Asbestos Settlement Trust. Trustees focus on maintaining long-term solvency to ensure fair compensation for current and future claimants.
There are two other asbestos trust funds with very similar names:
- The Thorpe Insulation Settlement Trust was created in 2010 when the Thorpe Insulation Company emerged from bankruptcy. The company conducted insulation work in Southern California.
- The J.T. Thorpe Company Successor Trust was established in 2004 through the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of a refractory contractor company based in Houston, known as J.T. Thorpe Co., which mainly served clients in Texas and Louisiana.
Gain access to trust funds, grants and other forms of compensation for you or your loved ones.
Get Help NowJ.T. Thorpe’s Asbestos Products
J.T. Thorpe manufactured, distributed and installed a variety of industrial asbestos products, primarily for high-heat and high-pressure applications. Workers were exposed to airborne asbestos fibers during installation, repair and maintenance.
Key J.T. Thorpe Asbestos Products
- Blankets
- Cement block
- Cloth
- Duct insulation
- Pipe insulation
- Refractory materials
- Wiring insulation
Workers handling these products faced long-term health risks, including mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The products were commonly used in high-heat and industrial environments, which made exposure widespread for employees and contractors.
Asbestos Litigation Involving J.T. Thorpe
Before filing for bankruptcy, J.T. Thorpe had faced more than 80,000 asbestos lawsuits and paid out more than $100 million in compensation.
- In 2013, a California jury awarded $38.9 million to the estate of Secundino Medina, who listed J.T. Thorpe Inc. among the defendants in a lawsuit claiming he developed mesothelioma as a result of working with asbestos products throughout his career as a factory worker.
- J.T. Thorpe reached a private settlement with plaintiff Donald Osterberg in 2011 after two weeks at trial in California. Thorpe was the last remaining defendant when the trial began. Osterberg was exposed to asbestos working as a cleanup crew member at a PG&E steam plant where Thorpe was installing asbestos block, asbestos cement and asbestos pipe covering around boilers and pipes.
Occupations at Risk of Exposure to J.T. Thorpe’s Asbestos Products
Employees at J.T. Thorpe who installed the company’s asbestos products were directly exposed to asbestos. Their work involved cutting, shaping and sanding these products during installation, which released high levels of asbestos fibers into the air. This created a risk of asbestos exposure for all workers present at the site.
Jobs at Risk From J.T. Thorpe Products
- Boiler workers
- Chemical plant workers
- Factory workers
- Industrial workers
- Insulators
- Oil refinery workers
- Pipefitters
- Power plant workers
- Shipyard workers
- Steamfitters
Refractory contractors with expertise in installing asbestos materials were critical to industries such as power plants, shipyards and oil refineries. Many J.T. Thorpe employees working with these refractory materials experienced long-term occupational asbestos exposure, significantly increasing their chances of developing serious diseases like mesothelioma later in life.
A 2022 European Commission report highlighted the severity of asbestos exposure worldwide, noting that more than 70,000 workers died globally in 2019 alone from past asbestos exposure. Additionally, employees of companies that hired J.T. Thorpe for installation projects were also vulnerable to asbestos exposure as asbestos fibers could become airborne during installation, repair or deterioration of asbestos-containing materials.
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