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Georgia-Pacific Corporation

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

Georgia-Pacific acquired its asbestos liability by purchasing several subsidiaries, the most significant of which was Bestwall Gypsum, in 1965. Through Bestwall, Georgia-Pacific manufactured popular asbestos-contaminated construction products.

Injured workers and their family members harmed by Georgia-Pacific’s asbestos products and activities may qualify for multiple forms of compensation.

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Georgia-Pacific Corp. & Asbestos Exposure

Founded in 1927, Georgia-Pacific was originally a lumber company. Financial success during World War II allowed the company to expand into wood pulp and paper products in the 1950s when it launched brands like Dixie, Coronet, and Brawny. 

Georgia-Pacific inherited its asbestos liability through several mid-20th-century acquisitions, including Bestwall Gypsum, Puget Sound Pulp and Timber Company, and Vanity Fair Paper Mills — all manufacturers of asbestos products. However, most of the company’s current legal challenges stem from Bestwall and its widely used asbestos-containing construction materials.

Georgia-Pacific continued to manufacture and sell asbestos-contaminated products until the late 1970s. Despite knowing that asbestos was hazardous, the company chose not to inform employees or consumers, putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk for dangerous asbestos-related illnesses.  

Koch Industries purchased Georgia-Pacific in 2005 for $21 billion.

2005 Scandal

By 2005, Georgia-Pacific faced roughly $1 billion in asbestos-related liabilities and over 60,000 active legal claims. Desperate to offload liability, the company hired consultants known for defense work to collaborate with company lawyers, directing research and conducting studies to “prove” that asbestos was safe.

Georgia-Pacific paid 18 scientists a combined $6 million to recreate joint compounds and conduct studies to disprove the hazards of their asbestos products. These experts were “specially employed” by the company’s in-house counsel, and all information generated by the research was to be held “in the strictest confidence.” 

This tactic allowed Georgia-Pacific to claim all communications surrounding the research as privileged and not subject to discovery in litigation. The company published 13 articles in scientific journals, which it used to discredit asbestos victims. 

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 heat, fire, and chemicals. These properties made asbestos a popular additive in a wide variety of products. Unfortunately, it is also highly toxic and carcinogenic.

Georgia-Pacific primarily used asbestos in its popular construction products. Many of these materials, like joint compounds, require sanding after use, causing asbestos particles to become airborne where anyone nearby could easily breathe them in.

When asbestos particles enter the body, they do not degrade, lodging themselves in vulnerable tissues where they can cause scarring, irritation, and DNA changes that can lead to serious asbestos-related illnesses like lung cancer or mesothelioma.  

Mesothelioma is a rare and deadly type of cancer that forms in the thin linings surrounding certain organs. It’s expensive to treat, costing roughly $400,000 per year out of pocket. 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 Georgia-Pacific Corporation

Georgia-Pacific has not established an asbestos trust fund, and until 2017 preferred to handle its asbestos liability through litigation.

There were two primary methods available to victims seeking legal compensation:

• 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.

In 2017, Georgia-Pacific’s newly created subsidiary, Bestwall LLC, filed for bankruptcy, placing all active asbestos claims on hold and preventing new lawsuits until the bankruptcy is resolved. In February of 2025, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the bankruptcy’s “automatic stay” could be extended, continuing to protect Georgia-Pacific from lawsuits.

However, because the use of asbestos products was widespread, many victims are eligible to seek compensation from multiple companies. Your lawyer can help you identify all potential avenues for compensation and hold all responsible companies accountable. 

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

Asbestos Lawsuits Against Georgia-Pacific Corp.

Roy Taylor

Painting supervisor Roy Taylor developed mesothelioma following occupational exposure to asbestos on job sites in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s. A Florida jury awarded Mr. Taylor and his wife $17 million, for which Georgia-Pacific was deemed 55% responsible.

Daniel Stupino

Mr. Stupino was an immigrant from Uruguay who worked as a laborer, renovating apartments in New York. He was regularly exposed to asbestos through the use of Georgia-Pacific joint compounds, developing mesothelioma.

The case ended mid-trial when Mr. Stupino agreed to settle for an undisclosed sum.

Merlin Olsen

Former pro football player, actor, and broadcaster Merlin Olsen filed suit against Georgia-Pacific after developing mesothelioma due to exposure to the company’s asbestos-contaminated drywall products. Following his death in 2010, his widow settled the case for an undisclosed amount. 

Asbestos-Containing Products Used at Georgia-Pacific

Like many asbestos manufacturers, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries continued using asbestos despite its dangers because it was convenient and profitable. They manufactured a wide range of contaminated products.

Georgia-Pacific Brand Asbestos Products:

• All Purpose Joint Compound
• Bedding Compound
• Ceiling Texture
• Texture Perlite
• Texture Polystyrene
• Texture Vermiculite
• Central Mix
• Drywall Adhesive
• Joint Compound
• Kalite
• Laminating Compound
• Lite Acoustical Plaster
• Patching Plaster
• Ready Mix Joint Compound
• Roof Coating
• Spackling Compound
• Speed Set Joint Compound
• Topping Joint Compound
• Topping-Casein
• Triple Duty Joint Compound
• Triple Duty Wallboard Joint Compound

Occupations At-Risk

Georgia-Pacific’s construction products were popular and used by professionals and amateurs alike. Those routinely exposed through their work face the highest risk, but it’s important to note that there is no safe amount of asbestos exposure.

High-risk occupations include:

• Carpenters
• Construction workers
• Demolition workers
• Drywallers
• Electricians
• Factory workers
• Maintenance workers
• Plumbers

The family members of asbestos workers also face a high risk of secondary exposure due to asbestos particles brought into the home on clothing, skin, and hair. 

Get Help Today 

Asbestos is highly toxic and poses serious health risks to anyone exposed. Diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis cause severe physical suffering and often lead to overwhelming financial burdens for victims and their families.

Companies that exposed workers and consumers to asbestos knew what they were doing. Many of these companies, like Georgia-Pacific, deliberately hid the dangers of their products to protect their bottom line at the cost of public health and safety. 

You can fight back. Experienced asbestos lawyers, like those at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, help victims pursue justice and compensation for their injuries. 

Our team provides resources and support throughout every stage of the claims process, helping clients receive the maximum potential compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation.