Eagle-Picher Industries
Eagle-Picher Industries was established in 1842 as Eagle White Lead Works, a manufacturer of white lead paint. By the early 1900s the company had expanded its product line into lead pipe and other plumbing supplies. In 1915 Eagle was bought by the Picher Lead Company and within a few years Eagle-Picher Industries was the leading zinc and lead producers in the United States. But it was the company’s introduction of insulation products that brought it the greatest success and later, notoriety. This was because Eagle-Picher, like many other companies that manufactured insulation products, used asbestos.
Asbestos was a favored material for insulation material because of its amazing ability to resist heat and flame and its low cost. Unfortunately asbestos also has the ability to become embedded in the delicate molecular linings of the internal organs, and are not easily expelled by the body. Over many years the embedded fibers can cause scarring and irritation, a condition that can eventually lead to a range of deadly asbestos-related disease such as
mesothelioma, a rare but terminal form of cancer.
While Eagle-Picher stopped using asbestos in the mid 1970s, the damage had already been done for those who manufactured, installed, or simply worked with their products. Some of these individuals have even developed an asbestos-related disease such as
lung cancer,
asbestosis, or mesothelioma as a result of working with Eagle-Picher products. And because asbestos-containing products may still be in homes, factories and other buildings throughout the country, the risk from these products continues to exist.
By the 1980s Eagle-Picher Industries was facing thousands of asbestos lawsuits which forced the company into bankruptcy in 1991. The company emerged from bankruptcy protection in 1997 with a permanent court injunction against any future asbestos-related lawsuits. In return for this protection, Eagle-Picher agreed to finance the Eagle-Picher Industries Personal Injury Settlement Trust, which would settle all the asbestos and lead-related injury claims against the company.
If you believe you or a family member has developed mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease as a result of working at Eagle-Picher or using their products, and would like to learn about available treatment options or about working with a
mesothelioma attorney, contact us today.
Asbestos laws are in place to help you get financial compensation you need and deserve.