Fibreboard Corporation
The Fibreboard Corporation was founded on November 20, 1917, when a number of corporations consolidated. The company grew quickly by buying other companies, such as Plant Rubber & Asbestos Works in 1928 and the Cott-a-lap Company in 1929. The company continued to grow in this manner by merging with Schumacher Wall Board Corporation and buying the Pacific Roofing Company in 1953. In November 1950, the company changed its name to Pabco Products Inc.; however, that change was temporary and the company resumed the Fibreboard Corporation moniker in 1966.
The company operated factories in Metuchen, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Emeryville, California. The company continued to buy other companies, in particular, lumber companies, gypsum plants and quarries.
Unfortunately, the company used asbestos liberally as a flame retardant for decades. The company did not stop using asbestos until 1972. As early as the 1920s, physicians recognized that exposure to asbestos caused severe sickness when asbestosis was identified by British medical journals. At the same time, insurance companies in the United States and Canada stopped selling life insurance to asbestos workers. Moreover, safer substitutes for most asbestos uses were known as early as the 1930s. Nevertheless, Fibreboard chose to protect its substantial profit margins rather than discontinue use of the mineral.
Additionally, the asbestos fibers remain in a person’s lungs for years and symptoms may not develop for decades. Fibreboard’s victims might live for decades without knowing of the deadly injury they sustained. Thus, thousands developed severe illness from Fibreboard.
In 1993, Fibreboard agreed to pay $4 billion to current and potential victims of the company’s asbestos use. If you or a loved one has been injured by Fibreboard, it is important that you contact The Gori Law Firm immediately for more information on your rights.