United States Gypsum Company
The United States Gypsum Company manufactured a wide variety of products for construction companies for more than a century. The company produced joint tape, insulation board, exterior panels, finishing products, cement, paint, mica products, ceiling panels and molder plaster. The company survived the Great Depression because of the variety within its product lines.
Unfortunately, United States Gypsum Company began to use asbestos in many of its products in 1920. This was because asbestos was inexpensive and fire-resistant. United States Gypsum Company used asbestos until 1978, long after it was scientifically proven that asbestos caused deadly illnesses. Thus, thousands of men and women were placed in grave danger. Those in the highest risk were workers in manufacturing, at chemical plants, in construction, shipyards and textile factories.
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, United States Gypsum Company 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. United States Gypsum Company’s victims might live for decades without knowing of the deadly injury they sustained.
Faced with liability, United States Gypsum Company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2001. Once the company emerged from bankruptcy, an Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust was formed as part of the company’s bankruptcy process. The trust began accepting claims in 2007. If you or a loved one has been injured by United States Gypsum Company, it is important that you contact The Gori Law Firm immediately for more information on your rights.