Nicolet (Keasbey & Mattison) made many different types of asbestos-containing construction materials that caused workers to develop related diseases. Asbestos litigation forced the company into bankruptcy and required the establishment of a trust fund to handle future claims.
Quick Facts About Nicolet/Keasbey & Mattison Trust Fund and Lawsuits
Founded:
1873
Years Operated:
1873 - 1987
Headquarters:
Ambler, Pennsylvania
Business:
Manufacturer of construction supplies, insulation and auto parts
Asbestos Trust:
Yes
Bankruptcy Status:
Filed in 1987
Overview of the Nicolet/Keasbey & Mattison Asbestos Trust
The trust is a division of Armstrong World Industries. The Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust is now paying all asbestos claims.
Nicolet/Keasbey & Mattison Asbestos Trust Updates
The current payment percentage is 10.8%.
Mesothelioma has a scheduled payment of $110,000.
Lung cancer has a scheduled payment of $42,500.
Other cancers have a scheduled payment of $21,500.
The Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust began accepting claims in 2007 to compensate people affected by Nicolet and K&M asbestos products. The trust received initial funding of $2.11 billion. By 2017, $312 million in claim payments had been made from the trust.
Legal Help for People Exposed to Nicolet/Keasbey & Mattison Asbestos Products
Because many construction and industrial workers used materials from several asbestos manufacturers over their careers, a knowledgeable asbestos attorney also reviews your entire work history to identify other companies that may share responsibility. This investigation can open additional options beyond trust fund claims, including mesothelioma lawsuits against solvent companies and, in some cases, workers’ compensation, VA benefits or other insurance-based claims.
Our Patient Advocates connect people with asbestos-related illnesses to experienced law firms specializing in Nicolet/Keasbey & Mattison claims. They clarify your legal choices, arrange consultations with mesothelioma experts, handle insurance and VA forms, and direct you to support communities and funding options, providing comprehensive assistance as you prioritize your health care.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos Products Made by Keasbey & Mattison?
Gain access to trust funds, grants and other forms of compensation for you or your loved ones.
In 1987, Keith Edwin Gibson successfully sued Armstrong World Industries for damages sustained through exposure to Keasbey & Mattison’s insulation products. The U.S. District Court of Colorado decided that because Nicolet had purchased K&M’s assets and continued to manufacture its asbestos products, Nicolet was Keasbey & Mattison’s “successor-in-interest.” Because Armstrong World Industries absorbed Nicolet, the company became responsible for all suits filed against Nicolet and K&M.
This landmark court decision established a precedent that allowed people diagnosed with mesothelioma to pursue compensation from multiple asbestos companies. It also established that companies are responsible under Colorado law for both the assets and liabilities of the businesses they purchase.
The Nicolet Company, formerly known as Keasbey & Mattison, began as a pharmaceutical business before transitioning into the manufacture of construction asbestos products. It gained popularity for its pipe insulation.
Mattison discovered that mixing laxative Milk of Magnesia with asbestos formed excellent pipe insulation. By 1886, Keasbey & Mattison focused on construction and industrial goods with asbestos. It shortened its name to K&M early in the 20th century and led the production of asbestos textiles nationwide.
Ownership changed several times by the early 1960s when Nicolet Industries acquired it. Nicolet kept making auto parts and asbestos products until 61,000 lawsuits forced it into bankruptcy in 1987. Armstrong World Industries later acquired it, funding claims through its Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust.
EPA Superfund Site
Decades of asbestos waste dumping by K&M, Turner & Newall and Nicolet resulted in several acres of land designated as a Superfund site in Ambler, Pennsylvania. The area, called the BoRit Superfund Asbestos Site, was added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List in 2009. The site contains asbestos waste, including shingles, millboard, piping and tiles.
One of the waste piles was actually used as a playground and public park for several years. It was closed in the mid-1980s because of asbestos contamination. Some of the piles of waste were as much as 30 feet tall and at least 15 feet deep below ground level.
The EPA began cleanup proceedings in Ambler in 1985. The agency initiated a lawsuit against Nicolet (United States of America v. Nicolet, Inc. and Turner Newall, PLC) to recover costs and expenses already incurred in the cleanup in Ambler.
It issued the final cleanup plan for the BoRit site on July 28, 2017. In November 2017, the agency released its Final Operations and Maintenance Plan for the site. The cleanup includes covering the asbestos-containing wastes, soils and reservoir sediments with geotextile and a minimum of two feet of clean material. Air testing demonstrated there is no unacceptable risk from airborne asbestos in the surrounding community.
Occupations at Risk of Exposure to Keasbey & Mattison’s Asbestos Products
K&M products were used in just about every aspect of the construction industry, from roofing to pipe fittings. Asbestos-containing K&M products may still be found in homes built prior to 1990, presenting a potential hazard to workers involved in the maintenance, repair, remodeling or demolition of older structures.
Higher Risk Jobs
Automobile factory workers
Automotive mechanics
Boiler workers
Brake mechanics
Carpenters
Construction workers
Electricians
Interior decorators
Insulators
Maintenance workers
Pipefitters
Plumbers
Roofers
The company also manufactured automotive parts until 1987, which put automobile factory workers and auto mechanics at risk of exposure. According to a European Commission report, more than 70,000 workers died in 2019 from past exposure to asbestos.
Keasbey & Mattison’s Asbestos Products
K&M produced a variety of asbestos textile products, including aprons, clothing, gloves, hats, helmets, thread, yarn and union suits. Workers who helped manufacture these materials were directly exposed to asbestos fibers.
K&M Asbestos Products
Air-Cell Pipe Covering
Ambler Asbestos Fibers
Amberlerex No. 2 Asbestos Cement
Asbestos-Containing Lumber
Asbestos Electrical Tape
Asbestos Electrical Tubing
Asbestos Furnace Cement
Asbestos Millboard
Asbestos Paper
Asbestos Pipe Joint Tape
Asbestos Roll Board
Asbestos Textiles
Asbestos Wick Packing
Automotive Gaskets
Bestfelt Pipe Insulation
Century Asbestos Corrugated Roofing
Century Asbestos Corrugated Siding
Century Asbestos Shingles
Century Asbestos-Cement Shingles
Compressed Asbestos Sheet Packings
Duplex Wrap Insulation
Ebonized Asbestos Sheets
Featherweight Insulating Cement
Fireproof Curtains
Hy-Temp Pipe Insulation
Insupanel
Kay-Therm Pipe Covering
Kolor-Mate Asbestos Cement Composition Board
Linabestos Siding
Monobestos Cement
Rope Packing
Sheetflextos Cement
Simplex Pipe Covering
Sprayed Limpet Asbestos
TexMo Brake Lining
Twisted Asbestos Rope Packing
Trafford Tile
Waltile
White Cold Molded Asbestos
Zebra Insulation
Workers cut, fitted and installed these products in shipyards, power plants and factories, releasing toxic asbestos fibers into the air. Construction crews and maintenance staff faced ongoing exposure risks during repairs and renovations.
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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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