Pittsburgh Corning Corporation Trust Fund and Lawsuits

Overview of the Pittsburgh Corning Corporation’s Asbestos Trust

Pittsburgh Corning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2000. After years of pending appeals, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania confirmed the plan in May 2013.

Pittsburgh Corning Trust Updates

1. The current payment percentage is 19%.
2. Mesothelioma has a scheduled payment of $175,000.
3. Lung cancer has a scheduled payment of $47,500.
4. Other cancers have a scheduled payment of $27,500.

The Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust was established as part of a multibillion-dollar settlement of claims over asbestos exposure. Funding for the asbestos trust fund began in the first half of 2016. The trust began accepting claims on March 17, 2017.

Legal Help for People Exposed to Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Products

If you were exposed to Pittsburgh Corning asbestos products and developed asbestos-related diseases, experienced asbestos attorneys can help you file a claim with the asbestos trust fund. The Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust pays compensation to individuals diagnosed with eligible diseases linked to the company’s products like mesothelioma.

Legal representation is crucial for navigating the complex claims process and adhering to deadlines. Skilled law firms assist in gathering evidence to ensure your claim is approved. This support is crucial for affected workers, contractors and families.​

Choosing the right lawyer for you and your family can feel daunting. Patient Advocates can match you to experts in helping mesothelioma patients get the financial assistance they need to cover medical bills, travel expenses related to treatment and lost wages. They also provide ongoing support, scheduling appointments for you with top specialists and offering comprehensive free resources.

Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Lawsuits and Litigation

The most notable asbestos-related litigation involving Pittsburgh Corning is a historic lawsuit in 1997 when 447 former employees of the Tyler plant filed a class-action lawsuit. This type of asbestos lawsuit is no longer common today. This case was settled out of court for $20 million.

Pittsburgh Corning 1997 Class Action Settlement

• Cape Industries (the asbestos suppliers) paid $5.2 million.
• Pittsburgh Corning paid $8.1 million.
• UNARCO paid $1 million.
• U.S. government (a large purchaser of Unibestos) paid $5.7 million.

During the trial, Dr. Richard Gaze, the chief scientist for Cape Industries, testified he consulted with Pittsburgh Corning in 1961, prior to the Unibestos purchase, about the manufacturing process and the necessary precautions that had to be implemented to protect plant employees from occupational asbestos exposure. He also testified that he consulted with the company about safety procedures over the next 10 years.

Additional Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Lawsuits

David Simpson worked on a steam piping system using Pittsburgh-Corning’s Unibestos, a thermal insulation pipe containing amosite asbestos fibers. Doctors diagnosed Simpson with mesothelioma, which claimed his life in 1988. His wife Helen received $2.3 million from Pittsburgh-Corning and other asbestos insulation manufacturers.

From 1955 to 1968, Robert Dunham worked for the Pittsburgh-Corning Corporation as a chemical operator, using insulation and asbestos-containing products. Dunham developed lung cancer from asbestos exposure and died in 1997. His widow took his case to court in Texas, winning $19.3 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

These lawsuits highlight the extensive asbestos exposure at Pittsburgh Corning facilities and the shared responsibility among manufacturers and suppliers. Today, most claims are processed through the Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Trust, where legal assistance helps ensure proper documentation and timely filing.

Pittsburgh Corning and Unibestos’ History With Asbestos

In 1962, Pittsburgh Corning entered into a purchase agreement with UNARCO Industries Inc. to buy the Unibestos product line, which contained items like pipe insulation and insulation block. The products in the Unibestos line were manufactured with amosite asbestos imported from South Africa. The asbestos mineral was partially broken down into fibers at the mines and then shipped to UNARCO’s plants for further fiberizing and bonding with inorganic binders and fillers.

From 1964 to 1971, Pittsburgh Corning employed industrial hygiene engineering consultant Morton Corn to evaluate the conditions at plants in Tyler, Texas, and Port Alleghany, Pennsylvania. Corn found both plants posed a significantly hazardous exposure to asbestos, and he recommended engineering control measures to lessen the risk. However, the majority of his recommendations weren’t implemented.

In 1972, Pittsburgh Corning ceased production and distribution of the insulation and dismantled and buried the equipment from the Tyler plant. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2000 and emerged from it in April 2016. Owens Corning Inc. acquired it in July 2017 for $560 million.

Pittsburgh Corning’s Asbestos Products

Pittsburgh Corning manufactured a wide range of asbestos-containing insulation products that put workers at serious risk of exposure. Asbestos products were often used in high-temperature settings where insulation was critical, like chemical plants, oil refineries, power stations, and shipyards. Workers who handled, installed, repaired, or worked near these materials faced regular exposure to dangerous asbestos fibers that can lead to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Asbestos Products Pittsburgh Corning and Unibestos Made

• Amocel Pipe Insulation
• Asbestos packing and gaskets
• Asbestos textiles
• Block insulation
• Braided packing
• Braided rod packing
• Cements and finishes
• Foamglas building insulation
• Gasoline packing
• High-pressure packing
• Insubestos felt insulation
• Insulating cement
• Insutape
• Metal mesh blankets to fit insulation
• Pipe insulation
• Tape
• UNARCO Insutape
• UNARCO INSUTUBE Slip-On Tubing
• Unarco insulating cement
• Unibestos block insulation
• Unibestos Metalclad
• Unibestos Pipe Block
• Unibestos pipe covering insulation
• Unibestos thermal insulation

If you were exposed to any of these Pittsburgh Corning products, you may be eligible to file a claim with the Pittsburgh Corning asbestos trust fund. Your lawyer will help you include evidence you regularly handled raw asbestos, made asbestos products, maintained or used asbestos materials or worked in close proximity to colleagues who worked directly with asbestos products. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help you document your exposure history and gather the necessary evidence to support your Pittsburgh Corning trust fund claim.

Workers at Risk of Exposure to Pittsburgh Corning’s Asbestos Products

Construction workers used Unibestos pipe insulation in numerous residential and commercial applications. Plant workers who manufactured Unibestos faced significant exposure, as did anyone who handled, applied or removed the insulation product in the field.

Workers removed and reinstalled the insulation each time they repaired covered components. This frequent handling released significant amounts of airborne asbestos fibers that workers inhaled.

Higher-Risk Occupations

• Boiler operators and mechanics: Regularly worked with asbestos insulation surrounding boilers, including Unibestos block insulation and high-temperature pipe coverings
• Construction and demolition workers: Installed, removed or demolished structures containing Pittsburgh Corning insulation products, often creating airborne asbestos fibers
• Factory and manufacturing workers: Handled raw asbestos materials during the production of Pittsburgh Corning insulation products at manufacturing facilities
• HVAC technicians and mechanics: Installed and repaired heating and cooling systems insulated with asbestos-containing materials like Unibestos pipe covering
• Insulation installers and removers: Directly handled Pittsburgh Corning asbestos products, including Amocel pipe insulation, block insulation, and insulating cement
• Maintenance workers: Performed routine repairs on equipment and systems containing Pittsburgh Corning asbestos products in industrial facilities
• Pipefitters and plumbers: Cut, fitted, and installed asbestos pipe insulation and gaskets in confined spaces with limited ventilation
• Power plant workers: Operated and maintained equipment in high-temperature environments where Pittsburgh Corning thermal insulation was extensively used
• Refinery workers: Worked around asbestos-insulated pipes and equipment in oil refineries and chemical plants
• Shipyard workers: Installed and removed asbestos insulation on naval and commercial vessels where space restrictions increased exposure risk
• U.S. Navy veterans: Served on ships where Pittsburgh Corning products were used throughout engine rooms, boiler rooms, and pipe systems

The asbestos was shipped from South Africa in gunny sacks without warnings about the dangers of asbestos exposure. Plant workers removed the raw asbestos from the sacks by hand. Although the workers wore respirators, after an hour, the respirators became clogged with asbestos dust.

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