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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