CertainTeed is a manufacturing company and subsidiary of Saint Gobain. CertainTeed used asbestos in several construction products for decades. Following a long string of asbestos-related lawsuits, CertainTeed continues to operate today but also faces lawsuits over asbestos exposure and illness.
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, you might be entitled to substantial compensation. We invite you to fill out our form today for a free Financial Compensation Packet, filled with information about experienced mesothelioma lawyers in your area, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file an asbestos trust fund claim, and much more.
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Did CertainTeed Use Asbestos?
CertainTeed makes construction materials. For several decades, most construction manufacturers used asbestos in their products. CertainTeed used asbestos in manufacturing from the 1930s to the early 1990s.
Companies like CertainTeed used asbestos in construction materials to add strength and insulation. It was once readily available, inexpensive, and widely used despite being very harmful to human health.
History of CertainTeed
In 1904, George M. Brown created the General Roofing Manufacturing Company headquartered in East St. Louis, Illinois.
- The company changed its name to Certain-teed in 1917 based on the slogan: “Quality made certain, satisfaction guaranteed.” Later, it became CertainTeed.
- Roofing materials have remained the signature products made by CertainTeed, but the company eventually added other types of construction products to its lineup.
- Many of the additional products CertainTeed made came from companies it acquired. These included Bowles & Eden Supply Company, Rohan Company, and Keasbey and Mattison Company.
- In the 1960s, CertainTeed merged with Gustin-Bacon Manufacturing Company. This allowed it to add fiberglass products to its offerings.
- CertainTeed’s roofing materials and many other products, like cement and pipes, were made with asbestos through the early 1990s.
- French company Saint Gobain acquired CertainTeed in 1988. Since then, CertainTeed has been a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Which CertainTeed Products Contained Asbestos?
The following products, manufactured by CertainTeed, contained asbestos. Although the company doesn’t use asbestos anymore, the restrictions came after thousands of people were already harmed:
- CertainTeed Plastic Cement
- CertainTeed Sealing Cement
- CertainTeed Asbestos Base Flashing
- Wet Seal Plastic Cement
- Asbestos Cement Sheets
- CertainTeed Asbestos Roof Coating
- CertainTeed Asbestos Cement Pipe
- CertainTeed Cold Process Cement
- CertainTeed Joint Treating Compound
The last of CertainTeed’s products to be made with asbestos were pipes. The company has stated that it stopped making asbestos pipes in 1993.
Who Was at Risk of Exposure to CertaiTeed Asbestos Products?
CertainTeed employees who made products with asbestos risked exposure as they handled or worked near asbestos. Handling asbestos causes it to release fibers into the air that workers and anyone nearby can inhale.
The risk of exposure extended well beyond CertainTeed factories and employees. CertainTeed construction materials went into thousands of residential and commercial buildings. This put numerous workers at risk for asbestos exposure from CertainTeed products:
- Construction workers
- Plumbers
- Pipefitters
- Boilermakers
- Shipbuilders and repairers
- Roofers
- Insulators
- Demolition workers
U.S. Navy veterans have high rates of asbestos exposure and illness. Navy ships were once constructed with hundreds of asbestos products. CertainTeed supplied some of these.
CertainTeed Asbestos Lawsuits
Due to the sheer amount of asbestos-related lawsuits it faced, CertainTeed ended up paying millions in settlements, trials, and court-related costs. The following cases are among a few of the various lawsuits filed against the company.
Evans vs. A.W. Chesterton Co.
In April 2010, Rhoda Evans, wife of a former L.A. Department of Water and Power (DWP) employee, won $208.8 million after an L.A. Superior Court jury found CertainTeed responsible for her health issues. Rhoda Evans was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma after secondhand exposure to asbestos via her late husband’s work clothes.
According to court documents, Bobby Evans worked as a cement pipe cutter for the L.A. DWP for over 20 years. Most of the pipes that Bobby Evans worked on were littered with asbestos and were manufactured by CertainTeed.
Although CertainTeed argued that it was up to the city of Los Angeles to provide safety measures to its workers, Rhoda Evans’ mesothelioma attorney argued that CertainTeed concealed information from DWP regarding how dangerous asbestos is.
The lawyer also said CertainTeed withheld information about its products to protect the $40 million in revenue it got from DWP each year.
The jurors agreed with the plaintiff and found CertainTeed 70% responsible for Rhoda Evans’ mesothelioma. DWP was found 30% liable. A little over $8 million of the $208.8 million was included for compensatory damages.
Pierce vs. CertainTeed Corporation
In May 2005, a San Francisco jury awarded Ralph Pierce, 70, a retired machine operator, $3.4 million after developing mesothelioma from working around asbestos. The asbestos-containing products were manufactured and distributed by CertainTeed.
Pierce worked for the West Contra Costa County Wastewater District for over 25 years, from 1972 until his retirement in 1997. Part of his job duties included working with cement pipe provided by CertainTeed. The pipes, which contained asbestos, caused the plaintiff to develop asbestos-related colon cancer in 2003.
According to internal company documentation, CertainTeed was well aware of the dangers of asbestos since the mid-1960s. Yet, even with plenty of years to warn workers and contractors of asbestos dangers, the company sealed the information to continue to profit.
It wasn’t until 1985 that CertainTeed sent asbestos warnings, but the signs came years after Pierce had already been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness.
As a result, the jury found CertainTeed responsible for Pierce’s illness and liable for failing to warn workers regarding the dangers of asbestos.
“We are thankful that Mr. Pierce got the opportunity to present his case in court,” said Pierce’s attorney. “The verdict shows at least two things—that trials work and that access to courts is essential to achieve and maintain corporate accountability.
“Without the courts, companies can duck responsibility for their wrongful conduct. The legislative ‘one–size–fits–all’ asbestos bailout bills that are presently in Congress work injustice in ways that juries can check, as was done in this case. The public, which is comprised of innocent individuals like Mr. Pierce, wins with access to courts.”
CertainTeed Bankruptcy and Asbestos Trust Fund Controversy
CertainTeed faced many lawsuits and claims to have spent at least $2 billion resolving them so far. In 2019, CertainTeed joined the growing number of other companies with asbestos liabilities in a controversial legal maneuver known as the Texas Two-Step.
CertainTeed split into two companies: CertainTeed LLC, which kept most of the company’s assets, and DBMP LLC, which took on the company’s asbestos liabilities.
DPMP then filed for bankruptcy and prepared to create an asbestos trust fund to compensate exposure victims. This left CertainTeed with most of its assets and immunity from ongoing asbestos lawsuits.
The maneuver is controversial because, as victims and their lawyers state, it limits the compensation given to genuine victims of asbestos exposure and devastating illnesses.
CertainTeed and Saint Gobain have not yet gotten away with the Texas Two-Step. Asbestos lawsuit plaintiffs and their lawyers have fought back, asking courts to undo the maneuver. It remains unsettled.
CertainTeed Today
CertainTeed is still in operation as a subsidiary of Saint Gobain. It remains one of the leading manufacturers of numerous construction products, including trim, fencing, siding, foundation, insulation, pipes, and more. The company also focuses on investments in environmentally friendly building and construction materials.
If you used CertainTeed asbestos products, talk to your doctor about the health risks. Contact an experienced mesothelioma lawyer to learn what you can do about past exposure.
Additional Resources for Asbestos Victims
Remember, if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify for significant compensation. Don’t forget to fill out our form for our free Financial Compensation Packet, filled with information on the experienced asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys in your area.
