Gold Bond Spackle Plaster
For many decades, National Gypsum Company was a leader in their industry. As the father of “modern” wallboard, the company helped make the building process easier for thousands of construction workers and contractors. National Gypsum was long lauded for their great accomplishments but what the general public did not now was that many of the company’s products contained asbestos. National Gypsum used asbestos in order to increase both the durability and the heat and fire resistance of their products.
Besides the wallboard, the company made a host of other complementary products that also contained asbestos. Many of these products were proclaimed to be the best available, so National Gypsum Company dubbed them “Gold Bond” products because of their high quality. Products included asbestos paper and sheeting as well as adhesive-type products such as Gold Bond Spackle Plaster. This product would have been used to repair plaster ceilings that were old or crumbling. Unfortunately, what most people didn’t realize was that when the Gold Bond Spackle Plaster itself became old and crumbling, it would begin to release dangerous airborne asbestos fibers, which were easily inhaled by homeowners or contractors performing repairs.
Should the National Gypsum Company be responsible for the fact that they included asbestos in their Gold Bond products? Did they know about the dangers of asbestos? The answer in both cases is “yes.” Old documents show that many asbestos manufacturers knew about the properties of asbestos and knew it was making their employees sick and could also sicken contractors and other end users of their products. In the interest of profits, many of these executives or company owners did not divulge this information, even though doctors and scientists told them that asbestos was toxic. The result of their negligence was the development of hundreds of cases of asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, and many lives lost or ruined.
Malignant mesothelioma is a very serious form of cancer for which the only known cause is exposure to asbestos. Meso is usually not diagnosed until 20 to 50 years after exposure, which means that those exposed before the asbestos warnings of the 1970s might just be discovering that they have the diseases. Mesothelioma does not respond well to treatment and often victims die within just a year of diagnosis. Debilitating symptoms of the disease include severe chest pain, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, cough, fatigue, weight loss, and more. Victims usually have difficulty working or even performing normal everyday tasks once the disease progresses. Chemotherapy and radiation may be used to relieve symptoms but offer no cure.
Did you use Gold Bond Spackle Plaster while on the job or did you work for National Gypsum Company during the years that their products contained asbestos? Have you developed mesothelioma due to this exposure? If so, you should take a few moments to examine your rights to monetary compensation for your injuries. An experienced asbestos attorney can help you determine your legal rights. For more details, order our free mesothelioma information kit.
Last modified: September 23 2008.
