Owens-Corning Fiberglas

Owens-Corning Fiberglas History of Asbestos Use

Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation was initially founded in 1938 in Toledo, Ohio, as a joint venture split between Corning Glass and Owens-Illinois. Corning Glass experimented with manufacturing glass fibers prior to this venture, but proposed the business idea to Owens-Illinois, as the company was also experienced in the glass industry. Together, they founded Owens-Corning Fiberglas in November of 1938 and reported sales of more than $2 million by year-end.

The earliest use of asbestos in Owens-Corning Fiberglas dates back to when it was founded. It used asbestos in yarn ties for fiberglass blankets, as well as in fiberglass blankets themselves. The most notable of Owens-Corning Fiberglas asbestos use was its Kaylo brand pipe covering and block insulation, which was sold from 1953 – 1973. Kaylo was used in commercial, residential and industrial insulation. Owens-Corning Fiberglas also manufactured asbestos-containing insulating cements sold in powdered form.

All of its products were popular and used widely, partially thanks to its marketing. Owens-Corning Fiberglas used the Pink Panther as a mascot to promote their famous pink insulation in the 1980s.

Because its insulation products were big sellers, the company changed its name to Owens Corning in 1996 to reflect its influence on industries beyond fiberglass, including cement and other building materials. Although the company had stopped manufacturing asbestos materials in the late 1970s, thousands of workers and consumers have been exposed to its asbestos-containing products, resulting in lawsuits against the company that are ongoing today.

Owens Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Fund

Owens Corning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2000, as a result of multi-billion dollar asbestos liability claims. The Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation Asbestos Personal Injury Trust was established on October 31, 2006, and was initially funded with $5 billion to help settle asbestos claims. Included within this trust is the Owens Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Trust subfund, which began accepting claims on August 27, 2007. The subfund was initially funded with $3.42 billion.

Most Recent Information From the Owens Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Trust

According to the trust’s year-end 2025 report, as of December 31, 2025:

• Approximately 19,820 Owens Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Trust claims were paid.
• The trust paid approximately $40.74 million in Owens Corning asbestos claims.
• Approximately $1.5 million was reported in settled but unpaid claims.
• The trust has approximately $476.71 million in total assets.
• The trust has paid approximately 468,100 Owens Corning asbestos claims since it was established.
• The trust paid approximately $3.15 billion to asbestos victims since it was established.

Current Owens Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Payment Percentage

The current payment percentage is 4.3% for the Owens Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Trust. At a payment percentage of 4.3%, the current payout on an Owens Corning Expedited Review claim for mesothelioma is $9,245.

Determining Review Process When Filing an Owens Corning Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Claim

An experienced asbestos lawyer will evaluate the injured party’s information to determine the appropriate review process when submitting an Owens Corning asbestos trust claim. A sample of Owens Corning claims filed between 2023 and 2025 indicated that approximately 51% of claims were filed under the Expedited Review (ER) process. Approximately 49% of Owens Corning claims were filed using the Individual Review (IR) process.

• Expedited Review Process: Owens Corning claims meeting all medical and exposure criteria established in the Trust Distribution Procedures can be submitted through the ER process for a streamlined review. Eligible claims will receive the standard scheduled value based on the diagnosed disease level.
• Individual Review Process: Owens Corning claims submitted under the IR process undergo a detailed assessment of exposure, medical and personal records to determine an individual liquidated value. IR filing is required for certain lung cancer and foreign claims. Most secondary exposure claims also require IR, but secondary exposure claims involving mesothelioma may use either ER or IR.

The trust still accepts claims from eligible asbestos victims. Payments vary based on diagnosis, age, exposure history and other claim-specific factors. People exposed to Owens Corning products can learn how a mesothelioma lawyer can help determine their compensation options.

Owens-Corning Fiberglas Asbestos Products

Owens-Corning Fiberglas manufactured asbestos materials as early as 1938, with its most common products consisting of insulation, cement and other building materials. Despite other company and research knowledge of the risks of asbestos by this time period, Owens-Corning Fiberglas did not market its products as toxic, leaving many individuals at risk of dangerous exposure.

Owens-Corning Fiberglas and Occupational Exposure

Due to the presence of asbestos fibers in Owens-Corning Fiberglas products, many workers and consumers were exposed to hazardous fibers. With first-year sales amounting to $2.5 million and increased sales of more than $2 billion by the 1980s, thousands of factory workers mass-produced cement, insulation and other products, and millions of construction workers and individuals in other trades used the products.

Asbestos Litigation Against Owens-Corning Fiberglas

Owens-Corning Fiberglas and its new company name, Owens Corning, have faced thousands of lawsuits for its asbestos-containing products. The company neglected to market its asbestos products as hazardous, knowingly exposing its employees and consumers to the materials and causing asbestos-related diseases.

One notable case was a consolidation of asbestos exposure claims against Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, which was settled in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in 1997. The spouses of Paul D. Henkel, Hubert Stine and John Phares filed a lawsuit against Owens-Corning Fiberglas and other companies in 1992 for causing asbestosis or asbestos-related cancer from their asbestos materials.

The plaintiffs used the case of Dr. Kenneth Smith to defend their claims. The former medical director of Johns-Manville, another company that manufactured materials with asbestos, claimed that medical communities knew the risks of asbestos many years before exposing employees and Owens-Corning Fiberglas neglected to accurately convey those risks. The jury ultimately found Owens-Corning Fiberglas at fault for the asbestos injuries inflicted upon the plaintiffs. All three men died prior to the trial’s end, but their families were awarded a total of $13 million in damages.