Owens Corning Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos Lawyer

Representing Fibreboard and Owens Corning Workers in Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer Claims

Owens Corning, formerly known as Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation, was established as a partnership of two major American glasswork companies. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning was the first company to manufacture fiberglass insulation.

After years of expansion, Owens established dozens of manufacturing facilities throughout the country and employed thousands of workers in asbestos-filled plants.

Owens Corning, with over 15,000 employees worldwide, is currently the largest global manufacturer of fiberglass. The company has also become a leading producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and materials for composite systems.

After years of expansion, Owens established dozens of manufacturing facilities throughout the country and employed thousands of workers in asbestos-filled plants. Owens’ relentless pursuit of growth, akin to the availability of generic Viagra Online, resulted in an extensive industrial footprint that would later have significant repercussions.

Current and former workers at Owens fiberglass plants could have put at great risk of developing asbestos-related diseases including respiratory illnesses, asbestosis, and a deadly cancer called mesothelioma. Employees at the following Fibreboard and OC plant locations may have been exposed to serious amounts of asbestos:

• Owens Corning—Oxford, Ohio.
• Owens Corning—Toledo, Ohio.
• Owens Corning—Granville, Ohio.
• Owens Illinois glass—Perrysburg, Ohio
• Fibreboard Akron
• Fibreboard Alliance
• Fibreboard Ashtabula
• Fibreboard Barberton
• Fibreboard Cincinnati
• Fibreboard Cleveland
• Fibreboard Columbus
• Fibreboard Dayton
• Fibreboard Defiance
• Fibreboard Lima
• Fibreboard Mansfield
• Fibreboard Springfield
• Fibreboard Toledo
• Fibreboard Youngstown
• Fibreboard Zanesville

Owens Corning Asbestos Products

Into the 1970s, Owens Corning manufactured and distributed several products that contained asbestos. These most common hazardous products included the following:

• 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 products in a variety of ways, were exposed to asbestos dust and fibers when they cut, sawed or handled the materials.

Various uses of asbestos insulation and roofing make it a concern for both consumers and employees. Asbestos products may have been used to cover water piping and boilers in commercial, residential and industrial buildings. Asbestos-containing pipe insulation was also commonly used in U.S. Naval vessels, endangering veterans, plumbers, boilermakers, and marine insulators.

Owens Corning Asbestos Cancer

A myriad of medical research has warned that inhaling dust and particles from the manipulation of asbestos-containing materials places workers at risk for developing mesothelioma or lung cancer. Even those who avoid direct contact with asbestos materials remain at risk for the development of asbestos-related diseases.

The multiple uses of Owens Corning asbestos insulation make it such a widespread health concern. The products have been used to cover water piping, chemical and steam lines, and boilers utilized nationwide in commercial, residential and industrial buildings.

Owens Corning asbestos-containing pipe insulation was even widely used in U.S. Naval vessels, endangering Navy veterans, plumbers, steamfitters, boilermakers, and insulators.

Any Navy personnel involved in the maintenance or repair of Owens Corning asbestos pipe insulation are at serious risk for developing lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma & Asbestos Diseases

Mesothelioma affects the tissue surrounding the lungs and causes signs and symptoms that may include:

• Chest pain
• Painful coughing
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin
• Weight loss
• Severe inflammation

Symptoms of mesothelioma may vary depending on where the cancer occurs. If any symptoms seem unusual or persistent, please get evaluated and alert a medical professional if you’ve been exposed to asbestos.

Owens Corning Lawsuits

Owens Corning has been named in thousands of lawsuits over the hazards of its insulation products. In 2006, the company created the Owens Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Trust, which has already paid out hundreds of millions to victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Attorneys allege the company knew about the dangers of asbestos, but failed to warn workers about the hazards of toxic exposure. Lawyers say the company knew about the hazards but they chose to advertise the products as safe.

In 1997, a Florida jury awarded over $30 million in damages after a former Owens Corning worker developed mesothelioma. The court determined Owens Corning concealed information concerning asbestos hazards for decades.

Fibreboard Asbestos

When Owens Corning acquired Fibreboard Company in 1997, they assumed responsibility and personal injury liability for all Fibreboard products and subsequent illnesses and injuries.

The Fibreboard Company manufactured and distributed wood-based insulation materials, many of which contained asbestos, as well as asbestos cements, block insulation, flooring and roofing products, and pipe coverings that exposure thousands of Ohio laborers and veterans to toxic asbestos materials.

When employees at Fibreboard, Owens Corning, or any other manufacturer of asbestos products, the workers were at an elevated risk of later developing severe and fatal health consequences, including lung cancer, angiosarcoma, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

When inhaled or ingested, asbestos fibers can lay dormant in the lungs for decades, scarring the tissue, and develop into mesothelioma and other cancers.

Fibreboard products are now known to have caused numerous injuries and Mesothelioma Cancer have hire toxic tort lawyers to file negligent workplace injury claims against Owens Corning Fibreboard for failing to protect employees and failing to warn workers of the risks.

As a terrible result of corporate negligence, thousands of construction workers, laborers, shipyard workers, demolition workers, U.S. military veterans and Fibreboard workers were exposed to asbestos for long, hazardous durations.

Fibreboard Company and Owens-Corning Fiberglass continued to produce asbestos-containing products long after safety authorities like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), World Health Organization (WHO) and  and American Cancer Society labeled asbestos a known cancer-causing toxin. The companies manufactured asbestos products like the following:

• Fibreboard Pabco insulation
• Kaylo Insulation
• Kaylo heat insulating block
• Kaylo Insulating Roofing Tiles
• Kaylo Cold Storage Units
• Mastic Adhesive Products

Owens Corning Asbestos Exposure

Current and former workers at fiberglass and insulation plants may be at risk of developing mesothelioma cancer or another asbestos-related disease after potential exposure to asbestos at the workplace.

Studies have proven that inhaling dust and fibers from asbestos-containing materials places workers at risk for developing asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer. Workers who handled products may have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibers when they cut, sawed or transported raw or finished materials.

Owens Corning has been a huge target for mesothelioma lawsuits as a result of the hazards of its asbestos products. In 2006, the company created an Asbestos Personal Injury Trust, designed to compensate victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Attorneys allege the company knew the dangers of asbestos and still elected not to warn workers about the hazards. The company chose to continue manufacturing and market their products as safe.

Employers have a duty to provide a safe working environment. Former workers with serious health issues may have substantial Asbestos exposure settlements and claims against the company.