If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another illness related to exposure to asbestos after working for Eagle-Picher Industries (EPI), you may be entitled to financial compensation from the EPI Personal Injury Settlement Trust. This company put thousands of employees and consumers at risk by using asbestos in its products. Find out if you are eligible for financial compensation during a free case consultation with an attorney at Bailey & Glasser, LLP.
Risks Associated With Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos refers to not one type of mineral but a group of six silicate minerals that occur naturally in certain types of rock and soil. Prior to the 1980s, asbestos was heavily mined and used as a popular ingredient to manufacture various products. The most common were building materials, as asbestos contributed to a product’s ability to withstand heat, chemicals, corrosion, and wear and tear.
Unfortunately, asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer that originates in the mesothelium, or the protective layer of tissue that surrounds many of the internal organs. While mesothelioma treatments are available to help victims control symptoms, there is no known cure for this deadly disease. According to the National Library of Medicine, the average life expectancy for a mesothelioma patient is 12 to 21 months after diagnosis, with treatment.
Exposure to asbestos is also connected to several other serious and chronic diseases, including asbestosis and lung cancer. Asbestos can cause these illnesses through significant tissue irritation and inflammation over time after becoming lodged in the body. This can result in scar tissue that places pressure against the lungs, causes a buildup of fluid in the pleural cavity or becomes a malignant tumor. Due to the long latency period (20-60+ years, on average), many victims are unaware that they have been exposed to asbestos until many years later.
Eagle-Picher Industries’ List of Asbestos-Containing Products
Eagle-Picher Industries is one of many manufacturing companies that used asbestos as a low-cost additive in its products. When EPI was founded in 1906, it was a merger between a mining company and lead company. By 1938, its core business was as a manufacturer of asbestos insulation and related materials, as it had its own raw asbestos to use.
Asbestos products that are connected to EPI include:
- Automotive parts
- Block insulation
- Construction materials
- Industrial products
- Insulating cement
- Mastic coatings
- Military equipment
- Pipe coverings
- Specialty chemicals
- Weatherproof coatings
In some cases, EPI also distributed asbestos-containing products that were produced by other companies. EPI’s products were given the brand names Insulseal, Stalastic, Spray-Mastic, Swetchek “B,” Hylo Block, Hylo Pipe Covering, Hylo Finishing Cement, Supertemp Block, Super 66 Insulating Cement and One-Cote Insulating Cement, among others.
Who Was Most at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From EPI Products?
Asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other illnesses by being inhaled or ingested by a victim. Anyone who came into contact with an asbestos product from EPI could be at risk of adverse health events. This includes workers in high-risk occupations for asbestos exposure, as well as people who worked for Eagle-Picher Industries itself. The EPI Trust has released a list of approved asbestos job sites in several states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas and Alabama.
At-risk workers can include:
- Asbestos miners
- Bricklayers
- Construction and demolition workers
- Contractors and laborers
- Drywall installers
- Factory/manufacturing workers
- Insulators
- Petrochemical workers
- Power plant workers
- Railroad workers
- Roofers
- Shipyard workers
- Steel mill workers
- U.S. military members
In addition, workers may have put their loved ones and family members at risk through secondary exposure. This can occur when a worker unknowingly brings asbestos particles and fibers home on his or her hair, skin, clothing, shoes or work gear. Hugging, kissing or being around the worker before he or she changes or showers puts these individuals at risk of secondary exposure.
What Is the EPI Trust?
The Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. Personal Injury Settlement Trust is a fund set up to provide compensation to victims who were exposed to asbestos by EPI and developed related illnesses. Asbestos trust funds preserve money for this purpose to allow a company to continue paying victims after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to asbestos litigation.
EPI began facing lawsuits for asbestos exposure in the 1980s. It declared bankruptcy in 1991 and established its settlement trust in 1996 as part of restructuring. The trust’s assets at the time of its founding were approximately $400 million. The current payment percentage is 33 percent, meaning claimants will receive 33 percent of the assigned value of approved claims. This allows the EPI trust to continue paying future claimants.
How to File a Claim With the Eagle-Picher Industries Trust
If you believe that you or a loved one is suffering from an asbestos injury caused by exposure to an EPI asbestos-containing product, you or your mesothelioma attorney can file a claim with the EPI Trust. An asbestos trust fund claim allows you to pursue financial compensation to help pay for expenses such as medical care, mesothelioma treatments, end-of-life care, losses of income or the death of a loved one.
Filing a claim requires filling out the standardized Claim Form, where you will need to state whether you are requesting an Individualized Review Claim (IRC) or Discounted Cash Payment (DCP). These are the two options available; choosing the right one for your case may require consulting with an attorney about your specific situation.
The claim form can be filed electronically or mailed to:
- Claims Processing Facility, Inc.
East West Corporate Center
1771 West Diehl Rd., Suite 220
Naperville, IL 60563
The Claim Form must be accompanied by supporting documentation. These records must demonstrate that the claimant has been diagnosed with an illness or injury associated with asbestos exposure and was exposed to an EPI asbestos-containing product. This may describe occupational exposure, job site exposure or exposure as a consumer.
Contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP for a Free Case Consultation
Filing a claim with the Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. Personal Injury Settlement Trust is easier with help from an attorney. The asbestos attorneys at Bailey & Glasser, LLP can guide you and your family through the claims process from start to finish, as well as discuss the possibility of filing a personal injury lawsuit for additional compensation. We will advocate aggressively for the case results that you deserve from EPI as a victim of asbestos exposure. Contact us today at (866) 871-7971 for a free consultation to learn more.
