Durabla Asbestos Trust Fund
Throughout the 20th century, Durabla Manufacturing Company produced sheet gaskets for industrial manufacturers. The company was a major industrial employer, using thousands of factory workers to keep the sheet gasket manufacturing process running.
Unfortunately, Durabla used asbestos to make its gaskets heatproof and non-corrosive. This meant that factory employees who handled its products were exposed to asbestos every day in the workplace. Many of these employees went on to develop mesothelioma and other deadly illnesses due to asbestos exposure.
- Durabla Manufacturing Company exposed thousands of people, including its workers, to asbestos in products it manufactured.
- During bankruptcy proceedings, Durabla was required to establish a trust fund for asbestos victims it harmed.
- Created in 2012, Durabla’s trust fund began accepting claims from asbestos victims in 2020.
- If you were exposed to asbestos by Durabla, The Gori Law Firm can help you seek compensation by filing a trust fund claim
Durabla filed for bankruptcy in 2009. As a part of the bankruptcy, it established the Durabla Manufacturing Company asbestos trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos-related illness caused by exposure in its factories. This trust fund began accepting claims from asbestos victims in 2020.
If you developed an asbestos-related condition while working with Durabla products, it’s critical to file a claim for compensation as soon as possible. The qualified attorneys at Gori Law help asbestos victims navigate the trust fund process from beginning to end.
History of Durabla Manufacturing Company and Asbestos Use
Durabla was founded in 1911 as a sheet gasket manufacturer. Major corporations such as Goodyear used its products throughout the 1900s.
Asbestos was a cheap fireproofing method that cost substantially less than other options, but it was proven harmful in the 1920s. By the 1930s, safer alternatives became available. Rather than using a safer material, Durabla continued using asbestos in its products, which caused its workers to suffer extensive asbestos exposure. The company received its first asbestos exposure lawsuit in 1980.
In addition to gaskets, Durabla produced sealing agents, insulation, similar building components, and other asbestos-containing products. This meant that even workers who didn’t handle Durabla products directly were at risk of exposure in workplaces constructed using its materials. Unfortunately, occupational asbestos exposure is especially common for manufacturers, shipbuilders, and construction workers due to their direct handling of asbestos and a higher likelihood of breathing in asbestos fibers.
Establishment of the Durabla Asbestos Trust Fund
Faced with thousands of asbestos exposure lawsuits, Durabla filed for bankruptcy in 2009. As a condition of bankruptcy, it established the Durabla Asbestos Trust Fund in 2012 to compensate victims. After extensive preparation, the trust fund finally began accepting filings from asbestos-exposure victims in 2020.
An asbestos trust fund is used during bankruptcy proceedings to set aside money to pay victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. The trust fund holds assets to ensure that asbestos victims are compensated before the company can make payments to other parties it may owe.
Eligibility for Compensation From the Durabla Asbestos Trust Fund
If you were exposed to asbestos by Durabla and developed an asbestos-related illness as a result, you may qualify for compensation.
Durabla’s primary victims of asbestos exposure were employees who worked with its products. Occupational exposure is a major driver of asbestos-related illness, but you don’t necessarily need to have worked with Durabla products personally to recover compensation for your asbestos-related illness.
Family members and others who lived closely with employees handling Durabla materials may also have experienced asbestos exposure. Employees directly exposed to asbestos could have carried asbestos fibers home on their hair, shoes, clothing, and skin. Hugging a family member after work or using a common washing machine for contaminated clothing may establish secondary asbestos exposure.
To succeed in an asbestos exposure claim, whether primary or secondary, you’ll need extensive medical evidence of your asbestos-related illness. A diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or a similar asbestos-related disease is required. Your claim will include all your diagnostic materials and evidence of asbestos exposure.
The experienced attorneys at Gori Law will work with you to strengthen your asbestos exposure claim before you file.
Required Documentation for a Claim
Successful asbestos exposure claims involve collecting important documentation. In addition to a diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness, you’ll also need to provide proof of exposure, employment history, affidavits from people who can attest to your exposure, and other critical pieces of evidence. Your documents should demonstrate not only that you developed an asbestos-related illness but that your illness was due to exposure caused by Durabla.
Gathering this paperwork can be difficult, especially while managing a serious illness. Our attorneys will assemble a strong claim on your behalf and collect all the necessary evidence to support your asbestos exposure case.
Our entire team works closely with our clients to provide them the personal support and resources they need throughout their cases. That said, we’re proud of our case results, including recovering over $4 billion for victims of asbestos exposure.
How To File a Claim With the Durabla Asbestos Trust
Reach out to a dedicated mesothelioma and asbestos exposure attorney as soon as possible before filing a trust fund claim. Working with a trusted attorney can significantly improve your chances of recovering compensation.
Your attorney will assist you step-by-step, including by:
- Investigating your exposure to determine all possible liable parties and relevant trust funds
- Gathering evidence to prove the companies were responsible for your exposure
- Collecting medical records to establish your diagnosis of mesothelioma or other illness
- Evaluating your case to make sure filing a trust fund claim is right for you
- Ensuring your funds get distributed to you after a successful claim
After filing, your claim will be evaluated by a trust fund trustee. You can choose to have an individual review, which assigns compensation based on your case’s facts, or an expedited review, which offers a set settlement amount. While expedited review is a significantly faster process, you may stand to receive more money by choosing an individual review.
One of our skilled attorneys can assess your case to help you determine which review process is right for you. Contact Gori Law today for a free case evaluation.
Common Challenges When Filing a Claim
Filing a claim with an asbestos trust can be a complicated process. Issues such as incomplete documentation and eligibility disputes can lead to claim denials, having to refile a new claim and similar challenges.
At Gori Law, our top-notch team helps clients avoid common mistakes when filing asbestos exposure claims. Our approach aims to give you a better chance of succeeding on the first try and obtaining the compensation you deserve.
Average Compensation and Payouts from the Trust
Compensation for asbestos exposure varies depending on your circumstances. While there’s no guaranteed range for an asbestos exposure claim, understanding average payouts from trust funds can help you decide whether pursuing a claim is right for you.
The average payout from all available asbestos trust funds is $41,000. It’s important to keep in mind that this number is skewed upward due to major payouts to victims who suffered catastrophic illness. An asbestos exposure attorney can help you assess your claim and estimate its potential financial value.
Factors Affecting Asbestos Trust Payouts
Asbestos trust payouts are determined based on several factors. The severity of your illness and the nature of your claim can impact your compensation, and disease severity is often the most significant factor. Claims for mesothelioma, a painful and aggressive form of cancer that is almost always fatal, tend to receive higher payouts than less severe illnesses.
Having legal representation on your side can also affect the amount of asbestos trust compensation you receive. Before filing an asbestos trust claim, consult with Gori Law so we can help strengthen your claim and maximize the compensation you seek.
Filing Deadlines and Statute of Limitations
Asbestos trust fund claims have limited windows, called statutes of limitations, during which victims are eligible to file. Because mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses tend to manifest anywhere from 20 to 50 years after the initial exposure, statutes of limitations tend to start on the date of diagnosis. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to file your trust fund claim as soon as possible after being diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness.
Statutes of limitations vary depending on the state where the claim is filed and the nature of the claim. Also, personal injury, product liability, and wrongful death claims all have different statutes of limitations. One of our expert asbestos exposure attorneys can help you determine the type of claim to file and how long you have to submit it.
Can You File a Lawsuit Instead of a Trust Fund Claim?
In some circumstances, filing an individual mesothelioma lawsuit may be a better option than submitting an asbestos trust fund claim.
Receiving compensation through an asbestos trust claim is often faster than through an individual lawsuit. Your trust fund claim will be reviewed by a trustee, who will either approve or deny it.
While an individual lawsuit may be effective in cases where you may be owed significantly more money than the set settlement amount established for trust fund claims, it can also involve a lengthy and more complicated court process.
Personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits are additional avenues to secure fair compensation. An attorney can help determine whether a trust fund or an individual suit is right for you.
How Gori Law Can Help You File a Claim
The Gori Law Firm has extensive experience handling asbestos trust fund claims and mesothelioma lawsuits. With over 15 years in business, our legal team has secured billions in successful asbestos settlement compensation for clients nationwide.
If you were exposed to Durabla asbestos-containing products and developed an asbestos-related illness as a result, Gori Law can help. Call 618-659-9833 or reach out online today for your free legal consultation.
