Owens Corning Asbestos Exposure

Owens Corning, formerly known as Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, manufactured and distributed insulation and other building materials used throughout the United States. For decades, some of those products contained asbestos.

Workers who manufactured, cut, installed, removed, or worked around Owens Corning asbestos products were exposed to fibers released into the air. Years later, some developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious illnesses.

The Lyon Firm represents workers and families affected by occupational asbestos exposure. If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease after working for Owens Corning, Fibreboard, or around their products, call (513) 381-2333 to discuss your exposure history with our legal team. You can also send us a message to get started.

Owens Corning Asbestos Products

Into the 1970s, Owens Corning manufactured and distributed several products that contained asbestos. Common hazardous products included:

• Insulating cements
• Roofing tiles
• Siding panels
• Fiberglass panels
• Cold storage systems
• Kaylo pipe covering and block insulation

Factory workers who manufactured these products and laborers who worked with the finished materials were exposed to asbestos dust when products were cut, sawed, mixed, removed, or otherwise disturbed.

Asbestos insulation was commonly used around water pipes, chemical and steam lines, and boilers in commercial, residential, and industrial buildings. Asbestos-containing pipe insulation was also installed aboard U.S. Navy vessels, exposing sailors and tradespeople working in confined mechanical spaces.

How Were Workers Exposed to Owens Corning Asbestos?

Asbestos exposure occurred when microscopic fibers were released from products and became airborne. Workers did not have to manufacture asbestos products themselves to encounter the fibers.

Exposure occurred during tasks such as:

• Cutting or sawing insulation
• Installing pipe covering
• Mixing or applying insulating cement
• Removing old insulation
• Repairing boilers, pipes, or mechanical equipment
• Handling damaged asbestos materials
• Cleaning dusty work areas
• Working near other trades disturbing asbestos products

Fibers released during this work could remain suspended in the air and settle on clothing, tools, machinery, and nearby surfaces.

Workers sometimes carried asbestos dust home on their work clothes, shoes, or hair. Family members who regularly handled contaminated work clothing also faced secondary exposure.

Occupations Impacted by Asbestos Use

Owens Corning and Fibreboard products were used in factories, power plants, construction sites, industrial facilities, shipyards, and other workplaces.

Occupations associated with asbestos exposure include:

• Insulators
• Pipefitters and steamfitters
• Plumbers
• Boilermakers
• Construction workers
• Electricians
• Maintenance workers
• Roofers
• Demolition workers
• Shipyard workers
• U.S. Navy personnel
• Factory and manufacturing workers

Employees working directly for Owens Corning or Fibreboard were not the only people exposed. Contractors and tradespeople working around insulation and other asbestos materials at job sites also faced exposure.

Current and former workers may have encountered asbestos at Owens Corning and Fibreboard facilities throughout Ohio.

Owens Corning locations included:

• Oxford
• Toledo
• Granville
• Perrysburg

Fibreboard locations included:

• Akron
• Alliance
• Ashtabula
• Barberton
• Cincinnati
• Cleveland
• Columbus
• Dayton
• Defiance
• Lima
• Mansfield
• Springfield
• Toledo
• Youngstown
• Zanesville

How Were Owens Corning and Fibreboard Connected?

Fibreboard Corporation had its own long history in insulation and building materials. Its products included asbestos-containing insulation, cements, roofing materials, flooring products, and pipe coverings.

Owens Corning acquired Fibreboard in 1997. The companies later entered bankruptcy proceedings, and asbestos liabilities associated with both companies ultimately became part of the bankruptcy reorganization process.

Products associated with Fibreboard included:

• Fibreboard Pabco insulation
• Kaylo insulation
• Kaylo heat insulating block
• Kaylo insulating roofing tiles
• Kaylo cold storage units
• Mastic adhesive products

A person with Fibreboard asbestos exposure could have encountered these materials in construction, industrial work, shipbuilding, maintenance, or another occupation long before Owens Corning acquired the company.

The relationship between the companies is still relevant today because the asbestos trust created through the bankruptcy process covers qualifying claims tied to both Owens Corning and Fibreboard.

Owens Corning Asbestos Trust Claims

Owens Corning and Fibreboard faced extensive asbestos liabilities before Owens Corning filed for bankruptcy protection in 2000.

The Owens Corning/Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust was established in 2006 through the bankruptcy reorganization of Owens Corning and Fibreboard. It began accepting claims in 2007 and remains a source of compensation for people with qualifying asbestos-related diseases.

The trust maintains separate subfunds for Owens Corning and Fibreboard claims. Claimants must provide medical documentation and information establishing qualifying exposure under the trust's requirements.

Claims generally proceed through one of two review processes:

• Expedited Review applies the trust's standard requirements and assigns a scheduled value based on the qualifying disease.
• Individual Review examines additional circumstances surrounding the claim before determining its value.

The trust currently applies different payment percentages to the Owens Corning and Fibreboard subfunds. These percentages affect the amount actually paid on an approved claim and are subject to change over time.

Someone exposed to asbestos products from several companies could also qualify for claims with other asbestos bankruptcy trusts or have legal claims against companies that remain in business.

You do not need to remember the name of every insulation product you encountered decades ago. Your employers, job sites, occupation, coworkers, and the type of work you performed provide a starting point for investigating exposure.

The Lyon Firm reviews historical work and product information to identify Owens Corning, Fibreboard, and other companies connected to a client's asbestos exposure. Call (513) 381-2333 to tell us what you remember, or request a case review.

Owens Corning Asbestos Lawsuits

Owens Corning has faced thousands of claims involving asbestos-containing insulation products. Those liabilities ultimately contributed to the company's bankruptcy and creation of the asbestos trust.

An Owens Corning asbestos lawsuit filed before or outside the bankruptcy process differs from a claim submitted to the trust. Today, qualifying claims against Owens Corning or Fibreboard generally proceed under the trust's procedures, while exposure to products from other companies could support separate trust claims or litigation.

Asbestos cases frequently involve more than one company because workers encountered numerous insulation, pipe covering, cement, gasket, roofing, and other asbestos products throughout their careers.

According to a Martindale-Nolo Research survey of personal injury claimants, more than nine out of 10 respondents represented by an attorney received compensation. Even after attorney fees, represented respondents had average net payouts nearly three times higher than those who handled their claims without a lawyer.

Owens Corning Asbestos Cancer

Medical research has established the health risks associated with inhaling asbestos fibers. Diseases associated with exposure include:

• Mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Asbestosis
• Pleural disease
• Other asbestos-related cancers

Asbestos diseases frequently appear decades after the exposure occurred. Someone who worked around asbestos insulation early in their career might not receive a diagnosis until many years after leaving that job.

This long latency period is also why employment and product investigations are important. By the time someone receives a mesothelioma diagnosis, the workplace could be closed, former coworkers difficult to locate, and the products involved no longer manufactured.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Diseases

Mesothelioma affects the tissue surrounding the lungs and other organs. Symptoms associated with pleural mesothelioma include:

• Chest pain
• Persistent or painful coughing
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Unexplained weight loss
• Lumps under the skin of the chest
• Fluid buildup around the lungs

These symptoms also occur with other medical conditions. Anyone with persistent respiratory symptoms and a history of occupational asbestos exposure should tell their healthcare provider about that exposure history.

"In a desperate life-altering crisis, Joe Lyon quietly entered my life. My husband was losing battle with mesothelioma. Joe came respectfully, professionally, kindly, and beneficially towards our family. I felt he was Heaven-sent. It has been an honor to know and work with Joe."

— Marlene Beal, Client

Why Are Owens Corning and Fibreboard Asbestos Claims Important?

For decades, workers encountered asbestos while doing ordinary jobs in manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding, maintenance, and skilled trades. The illnesses associated with those exposures often appeared long after the work ended.

A claim provides a way to pursue compensation from the companies legally responsible for those exposures. Depending on the person's work history, available compensation could involve the Owens Corning/Fibreboard trust, other asbestos bankruptcy trusts, or claims involving companies outside bankruptcy.

The Lyon Firm investigates the entire exposure history rather than limiting the review to one employer or product. Our nationwide practice includes asbestos and other industrial toxic exposure cases, along with complex product liability and mass tort litigation.