Turner & Newall

Turner & Newall History of Asbestos Use

Turner & Newall saw success shortly after being founded. The company started in the cotton-manufacturing and cloth-based packaging industries. The Turner brothers were able to weave asbestos fibers into cloth, becoming the first company in the United Kingdom to do so. As a result, they saw growing success, causing them to dub their company Turner Brothers Asbestos Company in 1879.

The company continued to expand its offerings and its reach into other industries, opening an asbestos cement manufacturing plant in Trafford Park before World War I. This plant developed one of its most well-known products, Trafford tile asbestos cement sheets. Thanks to its expansion, Turner Brothers Asbestos Company merged with Washington Chemical Company, Newall’s Insulation Company and J. W. Roberts in 1920. With the merger, the company changed its name to Turner & Newall.

Despite taking asbestos out of the company’s name, Turner & Newall remained committed to using asbestos in its manufacturing process. It continued to expand its product line and increased the number of factories to meet demand. In 1934, the company further expanded its reach in the United States by buying the asbestos manufacturer Keasbey and Mattison Company, which produced asbestos construction materials and automotive parts. Though Keasbey and Mattison Co. was allowed to maintain its name, reports note that Turner & Newall operated with full control of the plant until CertainTeed bought the company out in 1962.

By this point, the dangers of asbestos were becoming better known. In 1955, a study was conducted in Rochdale that proved the link between asbestos and cancer. Turner & Newall did not want the study to be published and eventually had its own scientist publish a paper to discredit the study.

During these years, more historical mesothelioma studies documented health concerns associated with asbestos use, and a growing number of workers developed diseases and spoke out. However, Turner & Newall continued to use the mineral in production until the 1970s. Around this time, the company began to see a decline and was later purchased by an American company, Federal-Mogul, in 1998.

Because of its widespread and consistent asbestos use in its products, Turner & Newall became one of the largest asbestos conglomerates in the world.

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The Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust and T&N Subfund

The Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust was created in 2007 through Federal-Mogul’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. The trust resolves asbestos-related claims involving Federal-Mogul and certain affiliated companies, including Turner & Newall (T&N).

The T&N Subfund, one of four subfunds within the Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust, processes and pays asbestos personal injury claims involving Turner & Newall, Flexitallic, Ferodo and applicable T&N entities. The T&N Subfund received an estimated initial funding of $635 million. It uses a payment percentage system to preserve funds for current and future claims.

Currently, the T&N Subfund is accepting Turner & Newall asbestos claims. Eligible claimants may receive compensation based on their asbestos-related diagnosis, exposure history and other claim criteria established in the Trust Distribution Procedures (TDP).

Most Recent Information From the T&N Subfund of the Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust

The trust’s year-end 2025 report indicated that, as of December 31, 2025:

• Approximately 17,570 T&N asbestos claims were paid.
• Approximately 188,000 Turner & Newall asbestos claims have been paid since the inception of the trust.
• The T&N Subfund has paid approximately $564.3 million in claim settlements to asbestos victims since the trust was established.
• Approximately $440.17 million remains in total assets in the asbestos trust.

Current Turner & Newall Asbestos Trust Payment Percentage

The current payment percentage is 2.9% for the Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust and the T&N Subfund. The scheduled value for a Turner & Newall Expedited Review mesothelioma claim is $200,000.

At a payment percentage of 2.9%, the current payout on a Turner & Newall mesothelioma claim filed under the Expedited Review is $5,800.

Determining Review Process When Filing a Turner & Newall Asbestos Trust Claim

An experienced mesothelioma lawyer will evaluate the injured party’s case to determine the appropriate review process when submitting a Turner & Newall Asbestos Trust claim.

A sample of T&N asbestos claims filed between 2023 and 2025 indicated that approximately 64% of claims were filed through the Expedited Review (ER) process and approximately 36% of claims were filed through the Individual Review (IR) process.

• Expedited Review: T&N claims filed through the ER process are evaluated under the standard review process. If approved, payouts are determined by the scheduled value assigned to the claimant’s disease level and the trust’s current payment percentage.
• Individual Review: T&N claims filed through the IR process receive a more detailed evaluation of the claimant’s medical records, asbestos exposure and other individual factors. This may result in a payout that is higher or lower than the standard scheduled value. IR is required for certain lung cancer, secondary exposure and foreign claims. It may also be requested for claims that do not meet the trust’s standard medical or exposure criteria.

Anyone who was exposed to Turner & Newall asbestos products and believes they are entitled to compensation, learn how a mesothelioma lawyer can help.

Turner & Newall Asbestos Products

Because of its various acquisitions and business growth, Turner & Newall frequently expanded its product line. As the company expanded into new industries, Turner & Newall incorporated asbestos into numerous products because of its heat-resistant, insulating and fire-resistant properties.

One asbestos-containing product associated with Turner & Newall was Sprayed Limpet Asbestos, which was developed and patented by its subsidiary J.W. Roberts Ltd. The spray-applied asbestos insulation was used for structural fireproofing, acoustical ceiling treatments and thermal insulation. The company also manufactured Trafford tile asbestos cement sheets, which were used in the walls and roofing of industrial and agricultural buildings.

Other asbestos-containing products associated with T&N included Sindanyo Asbestos Electric Arc and Heat Resisting Board, Atlas Turner Newalls 85% Magnesia and Atlas Turner Newalls Newtempheit.

Did You Know? Mesothelioma victims may be eligible for compensation from more than one asbestos trust fund. Filing a claim with one trust does not impact your eligibility for compensation from another trust fund. Learn More About Accessing Trust Funds

Turner & Newall and Occupational Exposure

People who worked at Turner & Newall’s factories up until the 1970s recall being completely surrounded by asbestos dust. According to one news report, measurements taken outside the factory’s roof in 1950 and 1957 showed levels of asbestos dust between 18 and 60 particles per cubic centimeter. At the time, safe working levels for the company were supposed to be two or three particles per cubic centimeter. Workers recalled regularly sweeping asbestos dust off the floor and even spitting the substance out of their mouths.

People living in the area around the Rochdale and other factories also faced asbestos exposure. Reports state that residents used to joke about having frost all year in the 1950s. The local woods were nicknamed “snow trees,” as fine asbestos dust coated everything.

Because T&N’s materials were used throughout the United Kingdom and other countries, many people may have been exposed to asbestos and may face a risk of developing mesothelioma.

Questions About Filing a Claim Against Turner & Newall? Ask experienced mesothelioma advocate Jennifer Lucarelli Ask a Question

Asbestos Litigation Against Turner & Newall

Turner & Newall first experienced legal complications from asbestos exposure in the 1920s. One of the best-known cases against the company involved Nellie Kershaw, an asbestos plant worker in the company’s Rochdale location. Because of her asbestos exposure at the plant, she developed asbestosis and passed away in 1924. Nellie Kershaw’s case became an early documented account of occupational asbestos disease.

Following her passing, Nellie’s family sought retribution against Turner & Newall. However, the company refused any liability and would not offer any financial assistance toward funeral expenses. Reports show that Nellie herself had even reached out to the company while sick, wondering what it would do about her case and lack of income.

In more recent years, Turner & Newall has faced thousands of asbestos lawsuits and substantial verdicts. In a 2014 lawsuit, T&N had to pay a verdict of $9.3 million to the widow of a pipefitter. John Lydon’s claim explained that he was frequently exposed to the company’s Limpet spray insulation through the 1960s. Lydon later developed mesothelioma and passed away.

Turner & Newall’s asbestos use has impacted hundreds of thousands of people in the United Kingdom, United States and many other countries. Reports show the company grew from 5,000 employees in 1926 to 40,000 by 1961, and continued to grow until sales began to decline in the 1970s. Throughout this growth, the number of asbestos claims continued to trickle in, with 21 claims of asbestosis in 1935, just nine years after Nellie Kershaw’s case.

Federal-Mogul was aware of the large number of asbestos claims against Turner & Newall when it acquired the company in 1998 and set aside about $2.1 billion to cover litigation costs. However, the funds dwindled quickly as the number of claims filed against T&N continued to grow. Federal-Mogul filed for bankruptcy in 2001, leading to the formation of an asbestos trust fund to handle claims.