About Durabla Manufacturing and Its Asbestos Gasket Products
Durabla Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of industrial gaskets and sealing products that contained asbestos. Industrial gaskets — thin sheets of compressible material used to create pressure-tight seals between flanged pipe connections, pump housings, valve bodies, and other equipment — were a critical component in every industrial piping and equipment system. Asbestos was widely used in gasket sheet material because of its heat resistance, chemical resistance, and compressibility properties.
Workers who installed, removed, and replaced Durabla gaskets in industrial applications were exposed to asbestos fibers in several ways. Cutting asbestos sheet gasket material to fit specific flange dimensions released asbestos fibers. Using abrasive tools to clean old gasket material from flange faces released fibers. In high-temperature applications, baked and degraded asbestos gasket material crumbled during removal, creating intense fiber exposure.
Durabla gaskets were used at petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, power generation facilities, paper and pulp mills, steel mills, and virtually any large industrial facility with complex piping systems. The pipefitters, maintenance mechanics, and industrial workers who regularly replaced these gaskets were exposed throughout their careers.
As asbestos personal injury claims accumulated against Durabla, the company established the Durabla Manufacturing Trust to compensate victims. The trust pays at 26% of the scheduled disease value — a moderately high payment percentage for an industrial gasket manufacturer trust.
Trust Fund Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Trust Name | Durabla Manufacturing Company Asbestos Trust |
| Predecessor Company | Durabla Manufacturing Company |
| Payment Percentage | 26% |
| Key Products | Asbestos sheet gaskets, spiral wound gaskets, ring gaskets, industrial sealing materials |
| Primary Industries | Petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, power generation, paper/pulp, steel manufacturing |
| Primary Exposure Occupations | Pipefitters, industrial mechanics, maintenance workers, millwrights |
| Claim Types Accepted | Mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural disease |
At 26%, the Durabla Trust provides a meaningful payment, particularly when combined with other trust claims filed simultaneously for insulation, boiler equipment, and other asbestos products used at the same facilities.
Who Is Eligible to File with the Durabla Manufacturing Trust?
Eligibility requires documented exposure to Durabla asbestos gaskets or sealing products and a qualifying asbestos disease diagnosis.
Eligible occupations:
- Pipefitters and steamfitters who installed and replaced gaskets on industrial piping systems
- Millwrights and industrial mechanics who replaced pump, valve, and equipment gaskets
- Boilermakers who worked on boiler systems requiring frequent gasket replacement
- Maintenance workers at refineries, chemical plants, and power plants who performed routine gasket replacement work
- Construction workers at industrial facilities who installed piping systems with Durabla gaskets
- Workers at Durabla manufacturing facilities who made asbestos gasket products
Qualifying diagnoses: mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease.
How to File a Durabla Manufacturing Trust Claim
- Attorney consultation: Your attorney will assess your industrial work history for Durabla gasket exposure, focusing on facilities and job duties involving gasket installation and replacement.
- Exposure documentation: Evidence of Durabla product use at your specific job sites is compiled, including purchasing records, contractor invoices, facility maintenance records, and co-worker testimony.
- Medical documentation: Pathology report and diagnosis records are assembled.
- Claim submission: Your attorney submits the completed claim package to the Durabla Manufacturing Trust administrator.
- Review and payment: The trust reviews and pays at 26% of the scheduled disease value upon approval.
Can You File Other Claims at the Same Time?
Yes. Industrial workers who were exposed to Durabla gaskets typically also worked around asbestos pipe insulation (Manville, Pittsburgh Corning, Owens Corning, etc.) and boiler insulation at the same facilities, creating eligibility for multiple trust claims simultaneously. Gasket exposure and insulation exposure create separate claims against different trusts, all of which can be filed at the same time. Lawsuits against solvent defendants also proceed simultaneously.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Durabla Manufacturing Trust pays at approximately 26% of the scheduled disease value. Your attorney will determine the current scheduled value for your disease category to calculate the expected payment amount.
Asbestos sheet gaskets required workers to cut them to fit specific flange dimensions using knives, scissors, or grinding tools — all of which released asbestos fibers. In high-temperature service, baked gasket material became fragile and crumbled during removal, generating intense dust exposure. Old gasket material on flange faces had to be scraped or ground off before new gaskets could be installed, releasing additional fibers. Workers who regularly performed this type of maintenance work accumulated significant cumulative asbestos exposure over their careers.
Yes. Multiple asbestos gasket manufacturers were in business simultaneously, and industrial workers typically used products from multiple brands during their careers. If your exposure history included gaskets from other manufacturers (such as Federal-Mogul Products), you may have separate claims with those trusts as well, all of which can be filed at the same time as your Durabla claim.