General Aniline and Film (GAF) Corporation manufactured construction materials that contained asbestos for approximately 60 years, from the 1920s to the 1980s. During this time, they exposed thousands of people to asbestos and the health risks associated with it, which include mesothelioma and lung cancer.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to a product manufactured by GAF Corp., contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP for legal assistance. Our team of asbestos attorneys can determine if you are eligible for a portion of the G-I Holdings Inc. Trust as a victim.
What Is Asbestos? How Does it Cause Mesothelioma?
Asbestos is a group of six minerals that are dangerous if inhaled or ingested. If asbestos enters the body, microscopic particles of this fibrous mineral can become lodged in the tissues – mainly, in the mesothelium, or the protective layer of tissue that surrounds internal organs such as the lungs, heart and abdominal cavity.
Over the course of many years, the lodged asbestos particles can irritate the surrounding tissues and cells, resulting in malignant tumors in the mesothelium (a cancer known as mesothelioma). The average latency period for mesothelioma, or the time between the date of asbestos exposure and the date of disease diagnosis, is 20-60+ years.
Sadly, there is no known cure for mesothelioma. According to the National Library of Medicine, the average life expectancy for a patient with mesothelioma is 12 to 21 months, with treatment. Exposure to asbestos can also cause lung cancer, a chronic lung disease known as asbestosis and a variety of other serious illnesses.
What Asbestos Products Is GAF Corp. Responsible for Manufacturing?
Despite the known health risks associated with asbestos, many manufacturers incorporated asbestos into their products due to its low cost and easy availability. Many consumer goods and building materials contained asbestos to enhance their durability and heat or chemical resistance. This includes several commercial and residential construction products manufactured and distributed by the GAF Corporation.
GAF Corp. manufactured and sold many insulation, paint, piping, tiles, and roofing and flooring products that featured asbestos, including:
- Airtred sheet vinyl flooring
- Anti-Sweat and Frost-Proof pipe covering
- Aristo insulation
- Asbestos paper and plastic film
- Asbestos rollboard and millboard
- Asphalt tile
- Boiler jackets
- Brick-Strip paper
- Calsilite pipe covering and block insulation
- Cement roofing shingles and siding
- Coverkote
- Hearth-Glow brick
- Insulation cements
- Roofing felts
- Roofing paint products
- Ruberoid Air Cell
- Sponge felt
- Supercell
- Vinylflex asbestos floor tile
- Watocel
GAF Corp. also distributed raw asbestos fibers from its asbestos mine, which was located in Vermont. During the course of its operations, GAF Corporation became known by the name of its parent company, G-I Holdings. At this point, it funneled most of its asbestos roofing product into a subsidiary called Building Materials Corporation. GAF continued to use asbestos in its roofing and construction products until at least 1981.
Who Might Have Been Exposed to Asbestos by GAF Corporation?
GAF Corporation exposed thousands of individuals and their loved ones to asbestos. The people who were most at risk were those with jobs where they worked directly with asbestos, such as GAF’s asbestos miners in Vermont or employees at the corporation’s manufacturing plants. However, anyone who was exposed to GAF’s asbestos products could be at risk of developing illnesses such as mesothelioma.
The highest-risk workers for exposure to asbestos through GAF Corp.’s products include:
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Electricians
- Flooring installers
- HVAC technicians
- Insulators
- Laborers
- Metal workers
- Painters
- Plumbers
- Power plant workers
- Roofers
- Siding contractors
- U.S. Military members
Anyone who came into contact with one of these workers before the worker had the opportunity to change clothes or shower could also be at risk of secondary asbestos exposure. Finally, people who live in homes or work in buildings where GAF’s asbestos products were used in construction could be at risk of exposure, especially if the materials get damaged or removed. This includes workplaces, schools and universities, and residential buildings.
About the G-I Holdings Inc. Trust
Over time, workers and consumers who had been exposed to GAF Corporation products began experiencing symptoms of illnesses connected to asbestos, such as difficulty breathing, a persistent dry cough, chest pain and tightness, and chronic fatigue. GAF Corp. and G-I Holdings faced thousands of asbestos-related lawsuits beginning in the 1970s.
By 2001, G-I Holdings had to file for bankruptcy due to financial strain from asbestos litigation. At this time, the company had settled approximately 500,000 asbestos claims for over $1.5 billion. As was common among companies that went bankrupt due to asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits, G-I Holdings established an asbestos trust fund during its bankruptcy restructuring to continue paying victims of asbestos exposure.
The G-I Holdings Inc. Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust was established in 2009 and initially funded with $770 million in assets. Victims of asbestos exposure can qualify for financial compensation from the trust without having to file a mesothelioma lawsuit if they can prove with documentation that they have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to an asbestos-containing product sold by GAF Corp.
What Types of Compensation Are Available?
The potential value of an asbestos trust fund claim depends on the unique circumstances. The trust has procedures in place for receiving, reviewing and paying claims. This includes an established schedule of eight asbestos-related diseases with specific values assigned to each.
A successful asbestos trust fund claim could result in financial compensation to help a victim pay for the following:
- Medical costs
- Mesothelioma treatments
- Ongoing care for a disability
- Palliative or end-of-life care
- Lost wages
- Death benefits, if applicable
Asbestos trust funds use payment percentages to help ensure that funds remain available for future claimants. A payment percentage means that a claimant will receive a predetermined percentage of the assigned value of a claim. This percentage is subject to change. In 2022, the G-I Holdings Trust reduced its payment percentage from 7.4 percent to 6 percent.
Contact Us Today | Free Asbestos Trust Fund Consultations for GAF Corporation
If you wish to file a claim with the G-I Holdings Asbestos Trust for an illness related to exposure to asbestos by the GAF Corporation, do not hesitate to contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP. Our asbestos attorneys offer free initial case consultations, where you can tell your story and receive tailored legal advice.
If you are eligible to file a claim with the G-I Holdings Trust, we can help you with the legal process from start to finish. Contact us online or call (866) 871-7971 today to schedule your free case consultation.
