Kaiser Aluminum
Kaiser Aluminum Company Background
As the name implies Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Company produces aluminum and chemical based products, largely for the aerospace, automotive and engineering industries. The company was first established in 1946 by Henry J. Kaiser. When it was founded, Kaiser leased property from the US Government, but eventually they purchased the land, and over time their empire expanded to include 10 separate facilities in the United States and one in Canada.
Asbestos Containing Products Manufactured by Kaiser Aluminum
From a small contracting company, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser grew a conglomerate whose products were used in a variety of trades and industries including shipbuilding, aluminum, concrete, and construction. Some of the Kaiser companies sold products, especially refractory and insulation products which contained asbestos.
Provided in the chart below are the asbestos-containing products manufactured by Kaiser Aluminum from 1959 to 1977:
| Kaiser Aluminum Product | Years Manufactured |
|---|---|
| Kaiser Vee Block Castable Insulation | 1959-74 |
| Kaiser K-N Plastic Chrome Ore | 1974-77 |
| Kaiser KK-N Plastic Chrome Ore | 1974-77 |
| Kaiser Blast Furnace Castable Insulating Cement | 1959-74 |
| Kaiser KR 1202/1204 M/C Brick – Metal Encased Firebrick | 1974-78 |
| Kaiser Coelex 60 Unitab Brick | 1974-78 |
| Kaiser M-Block Insulation | 1959-72 |
| Kaiser Super D Block Insulation (6% Amosite) | 1971-74 |
| Kaiser Hard Top Finishing Cement – Mud | 1959-72 |
| Kaiser Plastic Insulation Cement | 1959-72 |
| Kaiser Mineral Wool Cement | 1959-72 |
| Mirawal Building Products – “Birdsboard” panel and siding board with asbestos cement core | 1968-77 |
| Limited sales of raw asbestos fiber to 5 U.S. Companies located in NY, NJ, PA and TX | 1968 |
Asbestos Exposure and the Mesothelioma Connection
Asbestos was used for a variety of industrial purposes until it was recognized as being a toxic substance. It is made up of microscopic fibers that cling together, but can break apart and float in the air, where they may be inhaled by anyone who gets too close. The fibers are responsible for damaging the respiratory systems of people who have breathed them in and many of them are eventually diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer.
The mesothelioma survival rate tends to be low because there is no cure for the disease. There are different mesothelioma cell types that may be diagnosed including papillary mesothelioma and sarcomatoid mesothelioma but the prognosis is generally the same for each. Treatment at top mesothelioma clinics may involve chemotherapy with drugs like Alimta®, Navelbine or Onconase as well as other treatments like extrapleural pneumonectomy. Our mesothelioma treatment guide provides more helpful information for those who have been diagnosed with this disease.Kaiser Aluminum, Bankruptcy and Asbestos Lawsuits
By 2001, Kaiser had more than 112,000 personal injury claims still pending. They had already paid out several hundred million to plaintiffs, and the list of claims seemed to have no end. The decision to file for bankruptcy was finally reached in 2002, and it was designed to protect the company and all of its subsidiaries.
Unsettled claims would not be forgotten following the bankruptcy process. A trust fund was put in place to determine which claims were brought forth by people who had genuinely been affected and made ill by products created by Kaiser. These claims would be settled and paid in amounts that were determined by the trust representatives. Future claims are expected, as it often takes many years for symptoms of asbestos related diseases to develop. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and believe that you were exposed to Kaiser Aluminum asbestos containing products, a mesothelioma lawyer may be able to file a claim with the Kaiser Asbestos Trust on your behalf.
