Pittsburgh Corning

Pittsburgh Corning is known for glass products, but it got into the asbestos industry with the 1962 purchase of UNARCO’s unibestos products. Exposure and asbestos lawsuits followed. Pittsburgh Corning eventually filed for bankruptcy and set up an asbestos trust fund.

With more than $30 billion currently set aside in trust funds, you may qualify for substantial compensation if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer. 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.

Did Pittsburgh Corning Use Asbestos?

Pittsburgh Corning did not use asbestos until it purchased the UNARCO Unibestos line of insulation products. Pittsburgh Corning’s Unibestos products were made with asbestos until 1972. Asbestos was a common ingredient in insulation and other construction materials at the time.

Pittsburgh Corning History

• Pittsburgh Corning Corporation began in 1937 as a manufacturer of architectural glass blocks. It was a merger between Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (PPG Industries) and Corning Glass Works.

• For nearly 50 years, the company manufactured and distributed the architectural glass block while adding a few other key products along the way, including the advanced FOAMGLAS® and other glass products.

• In 1962, Pittsburgh Corning expanded its business by purchasing the Unibestos product line from UNARCO, a company associated with asbestos use.

• Many of the products from the Unibestos line contained a specific type of asbestos, known as amosite, imported from South Africa. This type of asbestos has been found to be more harmful to human health than others.

• Pittsburgh Corning manufactured Unibestos products at plants in Tyler, Texas, and Alleghany, Pennsylvania.

• A study of health risks at the Tyler plant found high levels of asbestos and serious risks of asbestos exposure in workers.

• Instead of providing safety measures to both plants, Pittsburgh Corning broke the equipment down at the Tyler plant and stopped its operations.

• By the time the Tyler plant was discontinued in 1972, many workers were beginning to develop toxic, life-threatening illnesses due to prolonged asbestos exposure. Soon after, asbestos-related claims began pouring in against Pittsburgh Corning.

• Pittsburgh Corning filed for bankruptcy in 2000. It emerged in 2013 with an asbestos trust fund. Owens Corning purchased Pittsburgh Corning in 2017 but is not liable for its asbestos claims. All claims go through the trust fund.

Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Products

Pittsburgh Corning made innovative glass products without asbestos until it purchased Unibestos. From 1962 to 1972, Pittsburgh Corning made several products with asbestos, including:

• Packing
• Gaskets
• Textiles
• Cement
• Block insulation
• Pipe covering
• Pipe insulation
• Tape
• Felt insulation

Workers at Risk of Exposure to Asbestos from Pittsburgh Corning

Several Unibestos products contained asbestos. Pipe insulation and pipe coverings were the products that caused the most asbestos exposure and the most harm. Workers who handled, installed, removed, and made repairs to pipes insulated in this way were at high risk for asbestos-related diseases.

Workers in the Pennsylvania and Texas plants making Unibestos products had some of the highest risks of exposure. The reports on safety at the Texas plant reported that workers sometimes used respirators but that they quickly became clogged with asbestos fibers.

Pittsburgh Corning sold and distributed Unibestos insulation and other products to many companies and construction sites, putting additional workers at risk of exposure:

• Construction workers
• Insulation workers
• Boiler workers
• Plumbers
• Pipefitters
• Steamfitters
• Power plant workers
• Repair and maintenance workers

Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Lawsuits

By the late 1970s, Pittsburgh Corning was in the hot seat, facing mounting mesothelioma lawsuits.

One well-known case involved a class action lawsuit against Pittsburgh Corning and several other companies, filed by hundreds of former workers of the Tyler, Texas, plant.

The plaintiffs eventually settled the lawsuit for $20 million, but Pittsburgh Corning was only responsible for $8.1 million of the settlement.

Other individual cases involved wrongful deaths. Helen Simpson won a $2.3 million award for her husband’s death. He died from mesothelioma after working with pipes insulated with Unibestos coverings.

Robert Dunham died from lung cancer after working for Pittsburgh Corning. His widow carried on his lawsuit and was awarded $19.3 million for wrongful death.

Pittsburgh Corning Bankruptcy and Trust Fund

In 2000, Pittsburgh Corning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania denied the company’s plan for reorganization.

However, in 2013, after a decade in bankruptcy, the company finally won the court’s approval to create a reorganization plan to help pay off its mounting debt connected to asbestos claims.

According to a 139-page opinion, a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, Judith K. Fitzgerald, determined that the company had successfully addressed the issues that would help carry out plans to pay the claims.

An initial $3.5 billion was placed in the asbestos trust fund to cover over 400,000 pending asbestos lawsuits. Some of the funding came from:

• $290 million in either cash or stocks
• $1.7 billion from insurance companies
• $825 million and 1.4 million stock shares from PPG Industries
• Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Products

The majority of asbestos claims came from Pittsburgh Corning’s purchase of the Unibestos product line, which included asbestos in:

What to Do if You Were Exposed to Pittsburgh Corning and Unibestos Products

Contact an asbestos law firm if you worked with Pittsburgh Corning products and now have an asbestos illness. Experienced mesothelioma lawyers can help you seek compensation and give you the best chance of making a successful trust fund claim.

Additional Help and Resources for Asbestos Victims

Remember, if you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, there is a good chance you’ll qualify for considerable 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.