Vanderbilt Minerals has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York, citing overwhelming mesothelioma and asbestos litigation liabilities totaling $117.5 million. Despite multiple jury verdicts against it, the company claims that its talc products never contained asbestos.
Mining Company Blames Mesothelioma Lawsuits Surge for Bankruptcy
The Norwalk, Connecticut-based mining company filed for bankruptcy Monday, declaring $117.5 million in unsecured liabilities from lawsuits accusing it of manufacturing or selling asbestos-containing products that caused mesothelioma and other diseases. The company cited pending cases that had surged from 307 lawsuits in 2019 to over 1,400 as of the petition date, and defense costs that had skyrocketed from $1.2 million in 2014 to $8 million in 2025.
Vanderbilt’s mesothelioma bankruptcy follows a pattern established by many other asbestos manufacturers and companies that have filed for bankruptcy protection and established asbestos trust funds. These funds, valued at over $30 billion, were created in recognition that mesothelioma’s 20-to-50-year latency period made identifying all claimants during bankruptcy proceedings impossible, and ensured that compensation would be available for victims whose asbestos diseases emerge decades after exposure.
Mesothelioma Verdicts Devastate Company Despite Asbestos-Free Claims
Despite its insistence that its products never contained asbestos, the company has suffered multiple devastating mesothelioma judgments.
- A Connecticut jury awarded $20 million to Kathleen M. Peckham after her husband, John Peckham, died in November 2020 after exposure to DAP ’33’ glazing compound. The jury awarded $15 million to Peckham’s estate plus $5 million for loss of consortium, finding DAP Inc. and Vanderbilt Minerals LLC each 50% liable for his death.
- A St. Lawrence County, New York jury ordered Vanderbilt Mining to pay $12.25 million for the mesothelioma death of 78-year-old Anna Bishop, including $4.5 million for her pain and suffering plus $7.75 million in punitive damages. Bishop had lived her entire life near Vanderbilt’s Balmat mining operations, which exposed her to asbestos from the 1970s through 2008. Expert testimony showed her asbestos exposure was 56 times higher than the threshold known to cause mesothelioma, and that talc particles had been found in her lung tissue.
After settling or dismissing over 5,750 lawsuits, Vanderbilt’s financial position is grim, as victims continue developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases decades after exposure.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. For information, contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
