Bell Asbestos Mines

Headquartered in Canada, Bell Asbestos Mines has been in operation for decades. One owner of the mine, Turner & Newall, faced various lawsuits due to asbestos exposure and subsequent mesothelioma diagnosis in workers. This led the company to file for bankruptcy. Bell Asbestos contributed to an asbestos trust fund as part of a bankruptcy protection agreement.

For over a century, Quebec was one of the biggest producers of asbestos in the world. The company began in 1876 when Bell mine was opened in the small town of Thetford Mines, which is an area with naturally occurring asbestos and the first of its kind to commercial mine asbestos.

In 1936, Turner & Newall purchased the mine and placed asbestos in Sprayed Limpet Asbestos as well as other asbestos products including cement and textiles. Turner & Newall also dispersed raw asbestos to companies throughout the world. Sprayed Limpet Asbestos was a spray-on material that is viewed as one of the most harmful asbestos products ever manufactured. As a fireproofing tool, workers sprayed Limpet on steel beams, girders, and beneath flooring. Limpet led to high levels of asbestos exposure in workers who used the product. In 1976, the material was replaced with sprayed slag wood because the United States prohibited sprayed insulation if it contained over 1% asbestos.

Many workers who mined and performed other tasks at Bell Asbestos Mine as well as workers who manufactured products from asbestos from the mines later developed mesothelioma and initiated legal action against the company.

Bell later acquired Turner & Newall. Federal Mogul Corporation was also required to file for bankruptcy due to these lawsuits and was later as a term of bankruptcy discharge was required to create a trust fund to address future claims.

Bell Asbestos Mines produced raw materials for a wide range of industries. Workers who were exposed to asbestos through employment at Bell Asbestos Mines had an elevated chance of developing deadly illnesses, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Additionally, people who lived close to Bell Mines also are at risk of asbestos exposure because asbestos fibers are small and can float in the air.

Insulation workers who sprayed asbestos onto surfaces were one of many types of workers at risk of inhaling asbestos fibers. Some of the other types of workers at Bell Asbestos Mines who are at elevated risk of being exposed to the material include carpenters, electricians, HVAC workers, painters, and plumbers.

Years before the Environmental Protection Agency created restrictions addressing asbestos use, Bell Asbestos Mine took raw asbestos from the mines for various industrial uses. Due to this usage, Bell as well as its parent companies faced substantial lawsuits.

These lawsuits were brought by people exposed to asbestos who began to display signs of illness and later received a deadly diagnosis of mesothelioma or associated conditions. One case involved a defendant who received $60,000 from Bell Asbestos Mine following a mesothelioma diagnosis.

If you worked for Bell Asbestos Mine, were exposed to asbestos-containing products, and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma or an associated illness, you should not hesitate to speak with an experienced attorney. Contact the Throneberry Law Group today to schedule a free case evaluation.