Johns Manville Asbestos Lawsuits: Key Settlements & Facts

Has a single companys negligence caused billions in damages and countless lives to be irrevocably altered? The history of Johns Manville and its entanglement with asbestos provides a resounding, and tragic, "yes." The legacy of this once-dominant manufacturer of asbestos products is etched in the annals of legal history, marked by a staggering number of lawsuits, bankruptcies, and a profound human cost.

The story begins in the early 20th century, an era when the dangers of asbestos were largely unknown or, perhaps more accurately, willfully ignored. Johns Manville, a prominent player in the construction and manufacturing industries, saw the mineral's exceptional fire-resistant and insulating properties as a golden opportunity. They incorporated asbestos into a wide array of products, from insulation and roofing materials to pipes and more. However, this pursuit of profit came at an extraordinary price, one that would not be fully understood for decades.

As early as 1929, the cracks in the facade began to appear. Johns Manville received its first official complaint, a harbinger of the legal storms to come. That initial settlement, a paltry $30,000, was a mere prelude to the deluge of claims that would eventually engulf the company. The devastating effects of asbestos exposure lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other debilitating lung diseases began to surface in mine and factory workers. The legal ramifications, once a trickle, soon turned into a flood.

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The ensuing decades saw a relentless stream of lawsuits filed against Johns Manville. Trades, particularly those involved in construction, bore the brunt of the exposure. Boilermakers, insulators, and other workers who had come into direct contact with asbestos-containing products found themselves battling severe illnesses. The company, facing mounting legal pressure, attempted to navigate the growing crisis. In 1982, they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a desperate attempt to stem the financial bleeding. By that year, the lawsuits against Johns Manville alone numbered over 16,500, and with each passing month, more than 400 new cases were filed.

The legal challenges and the sheer volume of claims led to a seismic shift in how asbestos victims sought redress. In 1988, the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust was established. Initially funded with $2.5 billion, the trust was designed to compensate individuals harmed by asbestos exposure through Johns Manville's products. The establishment of the trust marked a critical turning point, offering a pathway for victims to receive compensation without the lengthy and often costly process of individual lawsuits. This trust, and others like it, became essential in the decades-long effort to address the consequences of the company's actions.

The financial repercussions for Johns Manville were monumental. The company was ordered to create the Johns Manville Asbestos Trust, which has, to date, paid out more than $5 billion to victims. And the financial burden keeps mounting. The legacy of Johns Manville continues to reverberate through courtrooms and in the lives of those affected by asbestos-related illnesses.

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In a particularly poignant case, in 2014, a New Jersey judge awarded $90.5 million to 11 families of Johns Manville employees. The award served as a stark reminder of the human cost of the company's actions the pain, suffering, and loss experienced by those who loved and lost loved ones to asbestos cancer.

The company's focus on the fiberglass insulation business began in 1958 after buying Glass Fibers, Inc. but continued using asbestos.

Here's a summary of key dates and events: