Armstrong World Industries History of Asbestos
Armstrong World Industries continued to manufacture asbestos products between 1930's to 1970's. In a gap of over 40 years, it continued to make so many asbestos related products.
Later, asbestos litigation became the reason for the company to file for bankruptcy in the year 2000. Later in 2007, an asbestos trust fund was made active having over $2 million to compensate victims.
The post will let you know how Armstrong World
Industries continued to manufacture asbestos related products along with some
other astonishing facts regarding world industries.
Armstrong World Industries History of Asbestos
Armstrong World Industries basically used
asbestos to properly insulate and fireproof their products. Since asbestos has
a unique property of giving insulation to most products, it was used heavily at
the industry site.
Asbestos is recognized to be a toxic mineral
which is a natural resistant to heat. Due to its property of insulation,
asbestos is used in a variety of products, especially in the form of a
fireproofing material.
As per the data with us, the company named
Armstrong world industries, it continued to include asbestos in its products
mainly to give proper insulation to them. Most of these products are known to
place a number of construction workers at the risk of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Products Manufactured By Armstrong World Industries
Take a look at some of the products
manufactured at the world industries comprised with asbestos:
Asbestos Tile: Accopac AD-8024 Asbestos Paper
Asbestos Flooring: Accobest AS-8073 Gasketing
Material
Asbestos Felt: Accobest AS-474 Gasketing
Material
Bankruptcy and Asbestos Trust
Since the world industries continued to
manufacture asbestos based products, loads of people (workers) started having
trouble in the long run. And this happened mainly because of long term asbestos
exposure.
By 2000, Armstrong world industries had to face
over 175,000 personal injury claims. All of them were related due to asbestos.
All these claims had an estimated potential liability up to $1.4 billion.
The company had to file for bankruptcy in
December 2000. The world industries again managed to reorganize on August 18,
2006 by setting up an asbestos trust fund. It was mainly constructed to cover
future personal injury claims.
Finally, on May 14, 2007, the Armstrong World
Industries asbestos trust started to accept claims from individuals.
The very first two years for the company gave
surprising results as the world industries got over 200,000 claims. It was in
October 2020 when the world industries updated its payment schedule.
Asbestos Litigation Involving Armstrong World Industries
After the asbestos trust was formed, the
Armstrong world industries asbestos-related court started to happen in 1970. It
included the famous case of Borel v. Fibreboard Paper Products Corporation.
It all happened when Clarence Borel sued not
only Armstrong world industries but 10 other renowned manufacturers of asbestos
insulation companies right after developing asbestosis and mesothelioma.
It happened to be the first case that warned
the dangers of asbestos exposure. And so, this very case became the actual
foundation for all future asbestos claims.
After it happened, the company witnessed so
many other asbestos related claims against the world industries. Due to this
the company had no option but to pay millions of dollars as per the directives
from the court.
Miller v. Armstrong World Industries
The company witnessed another such case in the
year 1991. In a short span of time, Miller v. Armstrong World Industries Inc.
became a perfect asbestos litigation case.
Raymond Miller was a worker at the world
industries who worked as an insulator at the company from 1946 to 1951. In the
company he had to use asbestos products from Armstrong world industries. At
that time, Miller was not aware that asbestos can be so dangerous to human
health.
Due to the asbestos exposure over the time,
Miller started developing pleural thickening in the early 1980's which was
later diagnosed with asbestosis.
Due to this, Miller had to file a personal
injury claim for seeking a valid compensation after he was diagnosed with
asbestosis.
Occupations Exposed to Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Products
Armstrong World Industries initially enjoyed a
team of plant workers who had to manufacture such products.
The company initially hired some temporary
workers to install asbestos insulation as well. It was before 1980's when both
types of workers had to come in direct contact with asbestos.
Since the company widely manufactured asbestos
related products, they were mainly used in various commercial and residential
construction sites. Very soon, a number of supervisory and trade workers also
came in contact with Armstrong’s asbestos products.
The world industries also made use of plumbers
who were involved in naval firemen, cement masons and linoleum layers. As
Armstrong World Industries no longer manufactures products containing asbestos,
it was found that ceiling and flooring materials produced by the company during
1980s are still having a certain percentage of asbestos in them.
After these products are used for demolitions
or renovations, they generally lead to asbestos exposure. Due to this, proper
precautions need to be followed at the time of using them in any way.
History of Armstrong World Industries
Armstrong world industries founded in the year
1860. The company is known to have originally made wine bottle corks. In fact,
it was the first largest manufacturer of cork.
But the company soon started making fiberboard,
insulating corkboard and some other products. The company also involved in
making linoleum flooring business and led to the production of various types of
flooring materials.
Armstrong world industries looked quite
profitable as well. But over the time, the company had to face a number of
asbestos related lawsuits that finally made it bankruptcy filing in the year
2000.
It was on April 1, 2016 when world industries
finally separated from successful flooring business, named Armstrong Flooring.
It now operates as an independent publicly traded company.
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