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

Updated

Johns Manville, the largest manufacturer and distributor of asbestos products in the U.S., became the first company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to escape asbestos liability in 1982.

The formation of the trust, initially funded with $2.5 billion, was one of the conditions for emerging from bankruptcy in October 1988.

The Manville Trust, the very first asbestos trust fund, began processing claims on November 28, 1988. The trust initially paid 100% of all claims, but only two years after its establishment, it was in danger of running out of money. 

The company returned to court, and a pro-rata payment percentage system was established.

Establishing a pro-rata system means that the company must only pay a percentage of the settlement value, as determined by the trustees, to ensure enough funds remain to compensate all current and future victims.

The Manville Trust’s current payment percentage is 5.1%

See if you qualify for compensation from the Johns Manville asbestos trust fund today.

Key Information

  • The Johns Manville Asbestos Trust was the first in the nation. Legislation surrounding the founding and operation of this trust has impacted all subsequent trust formation.
  • While the trustees originally predicted the trust would receive around 100,000 claims throughout its lifetime, it has received over 1 million to this day.
  • Johns Manville used asbestos to manufacture construction products of all kinds: insulation, electrical, roofing, acoustical, cement, flooring, and more were all produced by JM over its more than 100-year history with asbestos. The company also mined and sold raw asbestos fibers to other manufacturers.
  • The top occupations impacted were carpenters, construction workers, electricians, insulators, and military members.

Johns Manville & Asbestos Exposure

Founded in 1901 with the merger of the H.W. Johns Manufacturing Co. and the Manville Covering Co., the Johns Manville Corporation grew to be one of the largest producers of construction materials in the United States.

Due to the high demand for fire- and heat-resistant products, the company used asbestos in dozens of products broadly used across all aspects of construction. Ships, buildings, and vehicles were all fitted with JM asbestos products.

JM also owned and operated several asbestos mines. The asbestos extracted from these mines supplied their manufacturing operations and was sold in raw form to other companies.

Information about the dangers of asbestos was available as early as the 1900s. JM received its first direct warning in the 1930s when Dr. A.J. Lanza contacted the company to share the results of a four-year study on asbestos he’d just completed. 

Company leadership responded to this warning by requesting that Dr. Lanza hide the severity of the danger. Dr. Lanza complied. Similar external and internal research was also ignored and hushed up over the next five decades. 

JM did not begin adding warning labels to its products until 1964 and continued manufacturing asbestos products until the early 1980s when mounting legal liabilities caused it to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Check the form below to see if you may qualify for compensation from Johns Manville asbestos trust fund today.

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Johns-Manville Asbestos Lawsuits 

Johns Manville has a long history of asbestos-related lawsuits, most of which were decided in the company’s favor until the early 1970s. Once the company’s negligence was revealed, the number of cases skyrocketed.

Key asbestos lawsuits from Johns-Manville include:

  • The earliest asbestos lawsuit against JM was filed in 1929 by 11 workers. The company eventually settled the case for $30,000 in 1933.
  • Workers from one of JM’s Texas facilities that made insulated sleeves for pipes on U.S. Navy ships won $20 million in 1977.
  • In 2014, the family members of 11 Johns Manville employees were awarded $90.5 million for pain and suffering caused by the company’s negligence.

Associated Companies 

As stated, the Johns Manville Corporation resulted from the merger of two early asbestos companies, the H.W. Johns Manufacturing Co. and the Manville Covering Co. 

Following this merger, JM expanded its asbestos manufacturing to produce dozens of asbestos-containing construction materials. As it expanded, JM also purchased many smaller manufacturers.

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. purchased Johns Manville in 2001, and the company is still doing business today.

Companies Associated With the Johns Manville Corporation:

  • Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
  • Celite Company 
  • Dibiten USA
  • Ergon Nonwovens
  • Exeltherm
  • H.W. Johns Manufacturing Co.
  • L-O-F Glass Fibers Company
  • Manville Building Materials Corporation
  • Manville Covering Co.
  • Manville Forest Products Corporation
  • Manville International Corporation
  • Manville Products Corporation
  • Manville Sales Corporation
  • Nord Bitumi
  • NRG Barriers
  • Olinkraft, Inc.
  • Riverwood International
  • Schuller Co.
  • Stevens Soundproofing Company
  • Stillwater Mining Company
  • Tasso AB 
  • Travelers Insurance Company
  • Web Dynamics

High-Risk Jobs Associated With Johns Manville

Asbestos was a staple in Johns Manville’s operations until the early 1980s. The company manufactured such a wide range of products that very few industries and professions remained untouched by its asbestos use. The company also owned mines that excavated and shipped raw asbestos. 

The Manville Trust maintains a list of hundreds of professions that faced significant occupational exposure due to their products and businesses.  

Jobs at Highest Risk for Asbestos Exposure

Carpenters/Construction Workers

Johns Manville manufactured numerous products used throughout the construction industry.

Those most heavily involved in construction — whether commercial, industrial, or residential — faced an increased risk of asbestos exposure when working with JM products. JM did not add warning labels to its products until 1964.

Welders

Welders in all industries, particularly maritime construction, were at exceptionally high risk of asbestos exposure. In addition to asbestos in and around the materials they were welding, protective clothing often contained asbestos due to its heat- and fire-resistant properties.

Electricians

Johns Manville built a plant in New Hampshire for the sole purpose of manufacturing heat- and fire-resistant electrical insulation.

The first in the product line was Quinterras, a thin and flexible insulation sheet. Other Johns Manville products for electricians included wiring covering, insulation, and gaskets.

Other At-Risk Jobs Include:

  • HVAC installers/maintenance workers
  • Office workers/building occupants
  • Cement finishers/masonry workers
  • Demolition workers
  • Drywall applicators/tapers
  • Engine room mechanics/operators
  • Factory workers
  • Glass workers
  • Heavy equipment operators
  • Insulators
  • Longshoremen
  • Maintenance workers
  • Military veterans
  • Nuclear inspectors
  • Oil field workers
  • Pipe cutters/installers/workers
  • Refinery operators
  • Steamfitters
  • Shipyard workers
  • Tile grinders/installers/layers

Asbestos Products Used at the Johns Manville Corporation

The Johns Manville Corporation built its business on asbestos. Asbestos was a cheap, easy-to-use, and resilient mineral. For decades, asbestos products were in demand in all branches of construction and manufacturing due to their heat-, fire-, and chemical-resistant properties. 

JM mixed, weaved, stirred, and combined asbestos with scores of materials over its more than 100-year history.

Top Asbestos-Containing Products Used at Johns Manville

  • Asbestotle Flashing – Asbestos shingles are just one of many JM products commonly used in homes nationwide. Records show that the company used asbestos in its products until the early 1980s, meaning that many Johns Manville asbestos products could still be in homes today. 
  • Transite – Asbestos was mixed into cement to create stronger water pipes and boards. These were used in municipal water systems across the nation. One report showed that these pipes released asbestos into the water system.
  • Vulcabestos Insulation – The company made a wide range of asbestos-based insulation products. In the early years, Johns Manville asbestos insulation was used in the military aboard naval vessels. In later years, it was used in homes and businesses.

Other Asbestos-Containing Products Made by Johns Manville

  • 352 Insulating Cement 
  • 7M-13 “Raw” Asbestos Fibers
  • Asbestos-Adhesives “Asbestosguard”
  • Asbestos Flashings
  • Asbestos Millboard
  • Asbestos Rope Packing
  • Block Insulating Coatings 
  • Ceiling Tiles
  • Colorbestos Sheet Siding
  • Corrugated Transite 
  • Duxseal
  • Ebony Electric Boards
  • Electrical Cable Fireproof Insulation
  • Fibrocel Insulation
  • Flexstone Asbestos Roofing
  • Furnace Cement Containing Asbestos
  • Gaskets
  • Glasal Flexboard
  • Insulkote Weatherproofing Sealant
  • Insulation
  • Johns Manville Caulking Putty 
  • Johns Manville Colorbestos Roof Shingles
  • Johns Manville Rigid Asbestos Shingles
  • J-M Asbestos Flexboard
  • J-M Asbestos Movable Walls 
  • J-M Asbestos Wallboard
  • J-M Aviation Products 
  • J-M Built-Up Roofing BUR
  • J-M Encased Insulating Board
  • J-M Insulating Cement
  • J-M Marinite Fireproof Sheeting
  • J-M Transite 
  • Marinite Board
  • Permastone Asbestos Cement Flexboard 
  • Pipe Coatings 
  • Roof Shingles
  • Roofing Felt 
  • Rope Gaskets & Packing
  • Salem Asbestos Shingles
  • Stonehedge Architectural Panels
  • Siding
  • Terraflex Plastic-Asbestos Floor Tiles 
  • Thermobestos Block Insulation
  • Thermobestos Cement
  • Thermobestos Block Insulation & Pipe Insulation
  • Transitop Asbestos Panels
  • Transite Pipe
  • Transite Roof Shingles or Panels or Corrugated Panels
  • Transite Sheets, Flat, Corrugated
  • Transite Siding
  • Ventsulation Asbestos Felt
  • Vitribestos Sheets
  • Vulcabestos Insulation

The Formation of the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust

Johns Manville employees began reporting problems with asbestos-related lung disease as early as the 1920s. However, company executives knew about the asbestos-cancer connection long before that.

By the 1960s, Johns-Manville faced thousands of asbestos-related individual and class action lawsuits.

In 1982, Johns Manville filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust began operating in 1988 and was initially funded with $2.5 billion.

Since the trust began operating, it has received nearly one million personal injury claims

The Johns Manville Corporation was the first company to file for bankruptcy to limit liability from asbestos-related personal injury lawsuits. 

Exposed to Asbestos

See if you qualify for compensation from the Johns-Manville asbestos trust fund today.

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Settlement and Payment Percentage in 2024

Johns Manville Asbestos Trust claims are paid at 5.1% of the settlement value. Early on, the Johns Manville Trust paid out 100% of claims on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis.

When the trustees realized that the fund was in danger of running out of money, the payout schedule was restructured. 

Although they were the first to institute payment percentages, most trusts now use the pro-rata system developed by JM to ensure that enough funds remain to pay all current and future claimants.

Payment percentages are revised every few years.

Fact

Following a diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness, victims have a limited amount of time to file claims against responsible companies, usually only 2 to 3 years as determined by their state’s statute of limitations. Failure to meet this crucial deadline can mean losing access to much-needed funds.

Eligibility Requirements for the Johns Manville Asbestos Trust

Claimants to the Johns Manville Asbestos Trust must prove eligibility through thorough documentation. There are two primary forms of eligibility that claimants must meet to receive payment: medical and exposure.

Medical Requirements

While the precise documentation required to prove medical eligibility can vary based on several factors, including whether the claimant is living or deceased and which disease they have been diagnosed with, there are some standard criteria:

  • Diagnosis by a physician or pathologist with one of the eight scheduled illnesses recognized by the trust
  • Proof of the diagnosis in the form of imaging or other tests, such as:
    • X-ray
    • CAT scan
    • Pleural testing
    • Pathology report
  • Documentation showing a causal link between the disease and asbestos exposure

Exposure Requirements

The Johns Manville Trust has two primary exposure requirements that all claimants must meet:

  • Significant Occupational Exposure, as defined by the trust distribution procedures (TDP)
  • Six months of exposure to Johns Manville asbestos products before December 31, 1982

To prove this exposure, the claimant must provide credible documentation.

Common types of documentation accepted include: 

  • Employment records
  • Insurance records
  • Military service records
  • Paystubs
  • Sales records
  • Witness statements/affidavits

Filing a Personal Injury Claim Against the Johns Manville Corporation

While there are only a few steps to take when filing a claim, the process can be complicated for those unfamiliar with mesothelioma and asbestos law.

Dense legal language, poorly designed websites, and stringent documentation requirements can place a heavy burden on claimants already struggling with a devastating diagnosis.

To file a claim against the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust, clients must complete several steps:

  • File a completed proof of claim (POC) form, including all required documentation.
  • Monitor the status of your claim and amend any deficiencies discovered by the trust.
    • You can request an appeal if the claim is denied or the settlement value does not meet your needs. The claim then undergoes a more detailed individual review.
  • Fill out the Manville Trust Distribution Process release form to accept the offered settlement. Once this form is signed and submitted, the settlement value is final, and the claims process is over.

An experienced asbestos lawyer can guide eligible claimants through this process, ensuring that critical deadlines are met and helping optimize the final settlement value.

Loved Ones & Family Members 

On occasion, direct victims of asbestos exposure may not be able to take charge of filing a claim.

Whether they are simply too ill or have already passed away, family members may need to file a claim on behalf of their loved ones.

Filing a claim without the direct assistance of the victim can add an additional layer of difficulty to an already complex process. 

Working with an experienced asbestos lawyer already familiar with this process can make it easier to track down necessary documentation and potentially bring the claim to a successful conclusion, allowing you to keep your attention focused on health and healing.

We may be able to help you start the claim filing process today.

Contact us to learn more.

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Written & Legally Reviewed By

Daniel Wasserberg

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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