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CertainTeed Corporation

Fact checked and legally reviewed by Daniel Wasserberg, Esq. • Contributor & Legal Advisor

CertainTeed manufactured asbestos-containing construction materials from 1930 to 1993. Despite knowing the dangers of asbestos, the company continued production, putting hundreds of thousands of employees and consumers at risk.

Injured workers and their family members harmed by CertainTeed’s asbestos products and activities may be eligible for multiple forms of compensation.

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Key Information

  • Compensation: Although CertainTeed is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, injured workers and their families impacted by its asbestos use may still qualify for multiple forms of compensation.
  • Products: CertainTeed manufactured asbestos-contaminated construction products, such as joint compounds, cement, sealants, and more, which were widely used in land construction and shipbuilding.
  • Occupations: In addition to CertainTeed workers and their families, construction workers, plumbers, shipyard workers, and U.S. Navy veterans also faced a high risk of occupational asbestos exposure.
  • Get Help Today: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness caused by CertainTeed asbestos exposure, contact us for a free case evaluation and to learn if you may be eligible for compensation.

CertainTeed Corporation & Asbestos Exposure

Founded in 1904 as the General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the company rebranded as CertainTeed in 1917. It quickly expanded beyond roofing materials into a wide range of construction products, including insulation, joint compounds, and cement. Many of these products were also used in shipbuilding and by the U.S. Navy.

CertainTeed products contained up to 29% asbestos, which the company used to increase products’ durability and resistance to heat, fire, and chemicals. Despite decades of evidence proving asbestos was a dangerous carcinogen, the company continued using asbestos until 1993.

CertainTeed did not inform or protect employees and consumers from asbestos exposure. Due to the popularity of its products, the company’s negligence put hundreds of thousands of people at risk of dangerous asbestos diseases.  

Purchased by Saint-Gobain in 1988, CertainTeed is still doing business as a major manufacturer of construction products today.

Fact

In addition to putting human health at risk on a large scale, CertainTeed is also linked to significant environmental damage. The company is partially responsible for several Superfund sites, including locations in Jacksonville, Florida; Ambler, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; and Alviso, California, as well as other contaminated sites not yet listed on the National Priorities List

Source: Mesotheliomafund.com

Dangers of Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos is a family of six minerals with similar properties. All varieties of asbestos separate into thin, durable strands that are nonconductive and resistant to fire, heat, and chemicals. These properties made asbestos a popular manufacturing additive for much of the 20th century.

All types of asbestos are hazardous, but some are more toxic than others. When asbestos-containing products — like those manufactured by CertainTeed — are made, damaged, disturbed, or repaired, microscopic fibers can become airborne and easily inhaled or swallowed.  

Once inhaled, asbestos fibers can lodge in delicate tissue and remain there permanently. Over time, they cause irritation, scarring, and DNA damage, leading to serious diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that develops in the thin linings surrounding the lungs, abdomen, or heart. It’s fast-moving, often deadly, and expensive to treat, averaging around $400,000 per year. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma.

Asbestos-related illnesses:

  • Mesothelioma
  • Lung cancer
  • Asbestosis 
  • Other cancer
  • Pleural effusions
  • Pleural plaques
  • Pleural thickening 

Financial Compensation From the CertainTeed Corp.

CertainTeed has not yet established an asbestos trust fund, but it is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. However, until the bankruptcy is resolved, injured workers and their families must pursue other forms of compensation. 

Victims can use two primary types of lawsuits to seek legal compensation for asbestos injuries:

  • Personal injury lawsuit: Allows living victims of asbestos exposure to seek compensation for their losses.
  • Wrongful death lawsuit: Allows the dependents or family members of deceased asbestos exposure victims to recover damages for the loss of their loved one.

Although CertainTeed is currently protected from litigation, many asbestos victims can seek compensation from multiple companies. Working with an experienced asbestos attorney can help you track down and hold accountable all responsible parties, maximizing potential compensation. 

Victims may also be eligible for other forms of compensation, including:

  • Benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Treatment grants

Check Your Compensation Eligibility Now

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Were you or your family member diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition?

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Asbestos Lawsuits Against CertainTeed Corporation

Machine Operator

In 2005, a jury awarded a retired machine operator and supervisor $3.4 million for colon cancer caused by exposure to CertainTeed asbestos cement pipes.

Pipefitter

In 2017, a retired pipefitter and his wife won $10 million in a lawsuit against CertainTeed after he was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma caused by exposure to the company’s asbestos cement pipes in the 1970s.

Secondhand Exposure

In 2010, the wife of a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power maintenance construction helper was awarded $208.8 million after developing mesothelioma from secondhand exposure. Her husband came in close contact with CertainTeed asbestos products at work, bringing home asbestos particles she encountered while doing laundry.

CertainTeed was deemed 70% responsible for the damages.

Colleges and Universities

In 1987, Central Wesleyan College filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of colleges and universities seeking compensation for property damage done by CertainTeed’s asbestos-contaminated construction materials. The lawsuit led to more than $40 million in settlements.

Municipal Contractor

In 2018, the heirs of a municipal contractor who died of mesothelioma caused by exposure to CertainTeed asbestos cement pipes lost a wrongful death lawsuit seeking $5 million in damages.

CertainTeed successfully argued that the lack of deposition from the victim, who was in the late stages of a deadly cancer and heavily medicated when his family first sought legal guidance, constituted insufficient evidence.

DMBP: Texas Two-Step Maneuver

The “Texas Two-Step” is a controversial legal maneuver used by asbestos manufacturers to protect their assets. Companies using this tactic create a subsidiary that takes on all asbestos liabilities and quickly declares bankruptcy. The profitable portions of the company can then continue making money while protected from litigation.

While good for the company, this “innovation” in bankruptcy litigation harms victims. Not only are the assets of the newly created subsidiary generally small, which affects the amount of funding the eventual asbestos trust fund receives, but it also halts all ongoing lawsuits. 

CertainTeed used this tactic in 2019, claiming it had spent over $2 billion resolving asbestos cases. It created DMBP LLC, which inherited all asbestos liabilities. On January 23, 2020, it declared bankruptcy, freezing over 60,000 ongoing lawsuits.

CertainTeed Corporation Products Containing Asbestos

CertainTeed products contained up to 29% asbestos and continued using it until 1993, well after the serious health risks of asbestos were widely known.

Although the company no longer uses asbestos in its products, many discontinued CertainTeed asbestos products are likely still in place in older structures. 

CertainTeed products that contained asbestos:

  • Acoustical Plaster
  • Asbestos Base Flashing
  • Asbestos Cap Sheet
  • Asbestos Cement Pipe
  • Asbestos Cement Sheets
  • Asbestos Roof Coating
  • Asphalt Foundation Coating
  • Base Sheet
  • Blind Nailing Cement
  • Cold Process Asphalt
  • Cold Process Cement
  • Flexible Trainline
  • Fluid-Tite
  • Joint Treating Compound
  • Plastic Cement
  • Sealing Cement
  • Stabilized Roof Coating
  • Wet Seal Plastic Cement

CertainTeed used two types of asbestos: crocidolite and chrysotile. Crocidolite asbestos, also called blue asbestos, is 100 to 500 times more lethal than chrysotile asbestos. Individuals exposed to crocidolite asbestos face an exceptionally high risk of mesothelioma compared to other varieties.

– Daniel Wasserberg, Attorney
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Occupations at Risk

The use of CertainTeed construction products was widespread, affecting many people beyond direct employees. End users of CertainTeed products who worked in industries like construction and shipbuilding also face a high risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses.

High-Risk Occupations:

Asbestos particles can cling to hair, skin, and clothing, leaving the family members of asbestos workers vulnerable to illnesses caused by secondary exposure.

Check Your Compensation Eligibility Now

Step 1 of 3

Were you or your family member diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition?

Step 3 of 3

Based on your answers, it seems like you may have a potential claim. How can we get in touch to confirm your eligibility?

Contact me by *
Your information will be kept private

Get Help Today 

A diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness often leaves victims and their families facing overwhelming challenges. The cost of medical treatment, lost income, and the physical and emotional toll of the disease can create a financial burden that’s difficult to manage without support.

Pursuing legal compensation with the help of an experienced asbestos lawyer helps victims maximize their potential compensation with less stress. The team at Meirowitz & Wasserberg has decades of combined experience navigating complex asbestos lawsuits.

We provide all our clients with free resources and individualized, compassionate support. You don’t have to fight alone. Contact us today for a free case review. 

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Written & Legally Reviewed By

Daniel Wasserberg, Esq. Attorney and On-Site Legal Advocate

Daniel Wasserberg was a New York metropolitan area “Super Lawyer Rising Star” from 2013 to 2018 (attorneys under age 40), and a Super Lawyer in 2019. In 2017, Daniel was named a “Top 100 Civil Litigator” by the National Trial Lawyers organization. This recognition is rarely awarded to attorneys under the age of 40. Daniel is proud to call himself a Trial Lawyer, and is often asked to speak at gatherings of the nation’s leading attorneys, from both sides of the bar.

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