Skip to content
Mesothelioma.net
phone iconCall1-800-692-8608 chat icon Chat 24/7 Live Chat
Menu
  • Malignant Mesothelioma
    • About Mesothelioma
      • How to Survive Mesothelioma
      • 100 Questions & Answers about Mesothelioma (Free Book)
      • Symptoms
      • Diagnosis
      • Prognosis
      • Life Expectancy
    • Types
      • Pleural
      • Peritoneal
      • Epithelioid
      • Sarcomatoid
      • Biphasic
    • Stages
      • Stage 1
      • Stage 2
      • Stage 3
      • Stage 4
    • Additional Information
      • Causes
      • Asbestos and Its Dangers
      • Facts
      • Support
      • Financial Compensation
      • FREE Mesothelioma Packet
  • Treatment
    • Treatment Options
      • Surgery
      • Chemotherapy
      • Radiation Therapy
      • Multimodal Therapy
      • Medications
      • Palliative Treatment
    • Find Top Doctors
      • Doctors
      • Treatment Centers
      • Treatment & Doctors Near You
      • New Treatments
      • Care Providers
      • Clinical Trials
      • Costs
  • Asbestos Trusts
  • Compensation
  • Veteran Assistance
    • Mesothelioma and Veterans
      • VA Claims for Mesothelioma
      • Vietnam Veterans
    • Military Branches and Asbestos
      • Navy Veterans
      • Navy Ships
      • Marine Corps Veterans
      • Army Veterans
      • Air Force Veterans
      • U.S. Coast Guard
  • Surviving Mesothelioma
  • About Us / Contact
  • Home
Page Updated: February 07, 2022

Porter Hayden Company

Dave Foster Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster

FREE Mesothelioma Packet

Fact Checked

This page has been fact checked by an experienced mesothelioma Patient Advocate. Sources of information are listed at the bottom of the article.

FREE Mesothelioma Packet

We make every attempt to keep our information accurate and up-to-date.

Please Contact Us with any questions or comments.

The Porter Hayden Company distributed sold, and installed asbestos insulation throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Some workers who installed the insulation and those in facilities that used the insulation eventually got sick with asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma. The company faced several lawsuits that led to bankruptcy and an asbestos trust to compensate victims.

FREE Mesothelioma Packet

Company History

Porter Hayden was founded in 1966 when two older companies, H.W. Porter & Co. and Reid Hayden Inc., merged. The former was based in New Jersey and the latter in Maryland.

The new company, Porter Hayden, operated out of Baltimore. Although the Porter Hayden Company did not manufacture any asbestos products, it did distribute and sell them to other companies.

Porter Hayden distributed and installed insulation. Its products largely went into industrial workplaces like steel, chemical, and manufacturing plants.

Some of the insulation went into other types of buildings, including residential homes and retail stores. Because of the asbestos in the materials it installed, Porter Hayden was liable for asbestos illnesses in many people. Lawsuits against the company eventually led to its bankruptcy and the closing of its doors.

Asbestos Use in Insulation

Unlike other insulation companies, Porter Hayden did not manufacture its own products. Instead, it sold and distributed insulation products and installed them.

It operated in this way until the 1970s when it stopped operations. Today it exists solely to cope with payments due to workers exposed to asbestos.

Through the years, asbestos was used in many insulation products by many different companies. Because asbestos is effective at insulating against temperature changes, it was often used to insulate homes, to prevent heat loss from furnaces and boilers, and to keep refrigeration units from overheating; additionally, asbestos was inexpensive and readily available.

Nearly all products Porter Hayden used included asbestos: insulated piping, wall insulation, industrial insulation, and residential insulation.

Asbestos Exposure

Although asbestos is a useful, natural mineral, it is also extremely harmful to human health. When a piece of asbestos is disturbed, it can release microscopic needle-like fibers into the air.

These fibers become part of the dust that settles on surfaces. Once airborne, anyone nearby can ingest or inhale them without realizing it. Once in the body, the fibers become lodged in tissues, causing damage over time.

For some, this will eventually lead to a serious illness like lung cancer, mesothelioma, or asbestosis. These terminal illnesses usually develop decades after the exposure.

Porter Hayden may not have made the asbestos insulation it used, but the company still put many at risk by installing it in various buildings. Porter Hayden insulation installers were at risk of being exposed because they directly handled the asbestos-containing products.

Anyone in facilities where the insulation was installed could also have been exposed, and at most significant risk were any workers who disturbed the insulation. This includes plumbers, electricians, pipefitters, repair and maintenance workers, drywall workers, steamfitters, boiler and furnace workers, and many others.

Lawsuits over Asbestos Illnesses

The courts found Porter Hayden liable for a number of individual cases of asbestos illnesses because the company installed these products that caused the exposure.

It didn’t matter that the company didn’t make the products because it installed them, putting many people at risk. The company saw its first asbestos lawsuit in 1976, just ten years after it was formed. This would be the first case of thousands.

Some of these lawsuits were dismissed, including the case of a chemical plant worker from Pennsylvania. This worker claimed he worked with asbestos which later led to mesothelioma. Although he was sick earlier, he was not diagnosed definitively until 1984. Porter Hayden’s lawyers successfully argued he should have made a claim sooner, and the case was dismissed.[1]

Porter Hayden faced thousands of other lawsuits and often had to pay large settlement sums. This includes a 1992 case in which the company paid three plaintiffs a total of $11.2 million.[2]

Bankruptcy and Asbestos Trust

Eventually, the lawsuits overwhelmed Porter Hayden, and the company filed for bankruptcy. In 2002, Porter Hayden entered chapter 11 protection and did not emerge with a court-approved reorganization plan until 2007.

The plan included an asbestos trust called the Porter Hayden Bodily Injury Trust.[3] The company funded this trust with $40 million to pay victims of asbestos exposure. The reorganization left the company as an entity that existed solely to deal with asbestos claims.

Throughout the many years Porter Hayden fought to dismiss claims, it also fought legal battles with its insurance company, Commercial Union. The insurer refused to cover some costs of asbestos litigation. As a result, Porter Hayden sued. In 2014, Porter Hayden won a victory against Commercial Union, receiving $15 million to cover asbestos claims.

Porter Hayden only distributed asbestos products for about a decade, but in that short time, it caused significant damage. Many people got sick because of asbestos used in the insulation they installed. Some of these were able to recover damages from the now-defunct company.

If you have a claim against Porter Hayden, you can still file with the active trust. Let an experienced lawyer help you make a claim to improve your chances of winning compensation.

Get Your FREE Mesothelioma Packet

Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster

Dave Foster

Dave has been a mesothelioma Patient Advocate for over 10 years. He consistently attends all major national and international mesothelioma meetings. In doing so, he is able to stay on top of the latest treatments, clinical trials, and research results. He also personally meets with mesothelioma patients and their families and connects them with the best medical specialists and legal representatives available.

Connect with Patient Advocate Dave Foster

References
  1. Supreme Court of New Jersey. (2000, February 24). Kasimierz Lapka v. Porter Hayden Company.
    Retrieved from: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/nj-supreme-court/1010519.html
  2. Tampa Bay Times. (2005, October 11). Asbestos Companies Found Liable for Damages.
    Retrieved from: https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1992/07/31/asbestos-companies-found-liable-for-damages/
  3. Porter Hayden Bodily Injury Trust. (n.d.). About Us.
    Retrieved from: http://www.porterhaydentrust.com/about-us.html
View All References

Site Navigation

Home
Malignant Mesothelioma
How to Survive Mesothelioma
100 Questions & Answers about Mesothelioma (Free Book)
Surviving Mesothelioma - Beating the Odds (Free Book)
FREE Mesothelioma Packet
Symptoms
Shortness of Breath
Cough
Night Sweats and Fever
Weight Loss
Pain
Difficulty Swallowing
Fatigue and Muscle Weakness
Gastrointestinal Complications
Diagnosis
Pathology
Staging
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Metastasis and Progression
Brain Metastasis
Biopsy
miRview Test
Imaging
Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy
Biomarkers and Blood Tests
Calretinin
Prognosis
Remission
Recurrence
Death Rate
Life Expectancy
Search for a Mesothelioma Cure
Types
Pleural
Peritoneal
Epithelioid
Sarcomatoid
Biphasic
Pericardial
Testicular
Cell Types
Rare Subtypes of Epithelial Mesothelioma
Deciduoid
Desmoplastic
Heterologous
Lymphohistiocytoid
Well-Differentiated Papillary
Tubulopapillary
Small Cell
Benign
Adenomatoid
Cystic
Unresectable
Localized
Idiopathic
Omental
Causes
Risk Factors
Latest Research
Genetic Components
Incidence
Latency Period
Mesothelioma Tumor
Health Insurance Coverage
Related Conditions
Immunodeficiency Disorders
Cholangiocarcinoma
Atelectasis
Pleural Plaques
Pleural Thickening
Pleural Effusion
Peritoneal Effusion (Ascites)
Mesothelial Hyperplasia and Proliferation
Pleuritis and Pleurisy
COPD
Anemia
Breast Cancer
Prevention
Complications
Misdiagnosis
Mesothelioma Commercial
Talcum Baby Powder
Lawyer
Lawsuits
Class Action Lawsuits
Settlements
Simian Virus 40
Differences From Other Cancers
Lung Cancer
Women
Children and Young Adults
Unknown Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma Without Asbestos
Cause of Death
Facts 
History
Awareness
Government and Research
National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank
Support
What to Expect
Living with Mesothelioma
Help a Loved One
Wrong and Right Things to Say
Caregivers
Financial Tips
Faith
Nutrition and Lifestyle
Intimacy
Mesothelioma and Fertility in Men
Fertility in Women with Mesothelioma
Emotional Health
COVID-19
Assisted Living
Hospice Care
Dying from Mesothelioma
Mourning
Coping Guide for Children
End-of-Life Decisions
Mesothelioma Awareness Day
Compensation for Victims
Lawyer
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington D.C.
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Lawsuit
Settlements
Statute of Limitations
Treatment
Surgery
Side Effects
Pneumonectomy
Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
Lobectomy
Pleurectomy / Decortication
Post Op Care
Pleurectomy / Decortication vs. Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
Peritonectomy/Cytoreductive Surgery
Thoracotomy
Thoracoscopy
Pericardiectomy
Wedge Resection
Pleurodesis
Pericardiocentesis
Prosthetics
Paracentesis
Thoracentesis
Chemotherapy
Side Effects
Heated Intraperitoneal
Radiation Therapy
Side Effects
Intensity-Modulated
Brachytherapy
Proton Therapy
Image-Guided
External Beam
Three-Dimensional
Multimodal Therapy
New Treatments
SMART Protocol
Gene Therapy
Suicide Gene Therapy
Tumor-Based p53 Therapy
Cryotherapy for Mesothelioma
Tumor Treating Fields
MicroRNA
Palliative Treatment
Osteopathic
Doctors
Treatment Centers
Treatment & Doctors Near You
Mesothelioma Experts
Medications
Alimta (pemetrexed)
Adriamycin (doxorubicin)
Avastin (bevacizumab)
Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide)
Gemzar (gemcitabine)
Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)
Mitomycin
Navelbine (vinorelbine)
Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab)
Paraplatin (carboplatin)
Platinol (cisplatin)
Rheumatrex (methotrexate)
Sutent (sunitinib)
Taxol (paclitaxel)
Medical Marijuana
Care Providers
Clinical Trials
Anetumab Ravtansine
Atezolizumab
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell
Durvalumab
Immunotoxin
Interferon Alfa-2b
Onconase (Ranpirnase)
VISTA Protein
Costs
Immunotherapy
Nanotechnology
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Home Medical Equipment
HMGB1 Secretion
Photodynamic Therapy
Targeted Therapies
Apoptosis
Stem Cells
Lung Transplantation
Body-Based Therapies
Alternative Therapies
Paul Kraus’s Method
Doctors and Treatment in Canada
Asbestos Trusts
Veterans
VA Claims for Mesothelioma
Vietnam Veterans
Military Branches and Asbestos
Navy Veterans
Navy Ships
Aircraft Carriers
Battleships
Destroyers
Asbestos on Navy Cruisers
Submarines
Amphibious Ships
Minesweepers
Auxiliary Ships
Marine Corps Veterans
Army Veterans
Air Force Veterans
U.S. Coast Guard
Asbestos
Occupational Exposure
Construction Workers
Shipyard Workers
Ship Repair
Steel Mill Workers
Industrial Workers
Boiler Workers
Power Plant Workers
Firefighters
Automotive Workers
Roofers
Oil Refineries
Mining
Transportation Industry
Machine Operators
Farmers and Agricultural Workers
Migrant Workers
Electrical Wiring
Labor Unions
Prisons
Chimneys, Furnaces, and Wood Stoves
Fiberglass Connection to Mesothelioma
Home Remodeling
School Buildings, Teachers
For Tech Students
Cancer
Lung Cancer
Pleural Based Cancers
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits
Companies That Used Asbestos
Awareness and Education
Types of Asbestos & Mesothelioma Risk
Asbestosis
Interstitial Lung Disease
Smoking
Asbestos Ingestion
Exposure in a Natural Disaster
Ban Asbestos
Libby, Montana
Recycling Asbestos
Asbestos Detection
Legal Information by State
Canada
Mexico
United Kingdom
Australia
  • Malignant Mesothelioma
    • Treatment
    • Asbestos Trusts
  • Compensation
    • Veteran Assistance
    • Surviving Mesothelioma
  • FREE Mesothelioma Packet
    • Mesothelioma News
    • About Us / Contact
  • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Editorial Guidelines and Standards
This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
The information provided by Mesothelioma.net is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Mesothelioma.net

5430 LBJ Freeway Suite 1200
Dallas, Texas 75240

Serving mesothelioma victims nationwide

1-800-692-8608

  • facebook
  • twitter
© 2022 Mesothelioma.net