T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition is a chemical company that manufactured dry and wet pesticides and distributed raw chrysotile asbestos sourced from the Carey-Canadian Mines to multiple companies that used the carcinogenic fiber in their products. The company distributed asbestos from 1960 to 1980 and was named in thousands of personal injury lawsuits filed by and on behalf of people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company was required to establish an asbestos bankruptcy trust to compensate victims.
The History of T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition
T H Agriculture & Nutrition had its start in Kansas City, Kansas, when it was called the Thompson-Munro-Robbins Chemical Company. It was incorporated in January 1917. The first several years of operations saw arguments between the company’s founders, leading to numerous name and ownership changes until it was renamed the Thompson-Hayward Chemical Company and purchased a chemical factory in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1931.[1] That company manufactured and sold DDT, Agent Orange, and other pesticides, and was later named in numerous personal injury lawsuits over the damaging effects of those chemicals. The pesticide formulation facilities operated from the 1950s and 1960s until the 1980s and the site where the factory was located was named a Superfund Site and placed on the National Priorities List in 1989.[2]
In 1960, the company partnered with Carey-Canadian Mines, Ltd., a subsidiary of Celtoex Corporation, in a new venture to distribute raw chrysotile asbestos. It was purchased by Philips North America and renamed T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition, but continued its operations, distributing and selling asbestos to third parties from 1961 to 1981. It also distributed laundry products and vermiculite that they later indicated may have been cross-contaminated with asbestos during the distribution process within the company’s facilities.
The company stopped distributing asbestos in 1981 and was sold to Harrisons and Crosfield PLC, which now does business under the name Harcros Chemicals, Inc.[3] By 2008, T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, indicating that it was facing over 6,000 personal injury lawsuits accusing it of negligence in having caused asbestos-related injuries and diseases.[1]
Asbestos Products Made from T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition Asbestos
Though T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition did not manufacture or mine asbestos, it was responsible for distributing the toxic product across the United States for use by multiple industries in countless applications that were linked to diagnoses of malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Based on the personal injury claims filed against T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition, the raw asbestos that it distributed was used in a wide range of construction and electrical products, including:
- Caulk
- Ceiling tiles
- Floor tiles
- Drywall
- Electrical wiring
- Fireproofing materials
- Adhesives
- Gaskets
- Paint
- Insulation
- Piping
- Roofing materials
- Boilers
- Brake pads
- Cement
- Clutch plates
- Engines
- Gaskets
- Soundproofing
- Valves and heat seals
- Heating systems
Direct Exposure from T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition
T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition’s asbestos was transported from mines located in Quebec, Canada to multiple distribution sites scattered across the Midwest and southern states of the United States. Because asbestos is such a fibrous material that breaks down easily, microscopic fibers break off and float in the air, where they can be inhaled or can land on surfaces and eventually ingested. Once these particles enter the body, they embed themselves in the tissue that lines the lungs and abdomen, eventually causing cell death, mutation, and disease.
Anybody who came into contact with T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition’s asbestos anywhere along its supply line was placed at risk of direct exposure and illness. This includes truckers, packers, warehouse personnel who packed and unpacked the product, and anyone else responsible for getting it from the mine to the distribution site to its final destination. In addition to those exposed to the company’s asbestos at work, family members are vulnerable to secondary asbestos exposure from particles that may have been carried into their homes on workers’ hair, skin, or clothing.
Other Workers Affected by T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition’s Asbestos
Because T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition’s asbestos was sold to such a wide range of industries, any worker that used products that contained the company’s asbestos was at risk for exposure and illness. Based on the lawsuits in which the company was named as a defendant, those most likely to have been affected include:
- Construction workers
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Carpenters
- HVAC workers
- Laborers
- Demolition workers
Beyond those who worked directly with the product, the risk of exposure to T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition’s asbestos continues today to anyone working in buildings where the products were used in construction. At particular risk are employees who work in government and public buildings, schools, industrial plants, power plants, and other industrial settings where legacy asbestos may still be found.
Asbestos Lawsuits Against T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition
By the time T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition had discontinued its asbestos distribution, most of its operations had been sold to third parties and the company’s primary operations were devoted to litigating its asbestos liabilities and its liabilities surrounding its chemical operations. By 2007 it had been named in over 14,000 personal injury lawsuits seeking compensation for asbestos injuries. These included:
- A case was filed on behalf of the estate of Bill Z. Littlefield, who died of mesothelioma in 2004. Mr. Littlefield alleged exposure to raw asbestos fibers distributed by T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition while he had worked in Indiana.[4]
- The family of William “Bill” Saller filed suit against multiple companies including T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition after he died of malignant mesothelioma. The claim asserted that from 1959 to 1967 he had worked as a laborer around Mundet Thermal Insulation at Standard Oil. The family was awarded $3.7 million in punitive damages, $516,000 in economic damages, and $4.5 million in non-economic damages.[5]
T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition LLC Asbestos Personal Injury Trust
Facing thousands of personal injury lawsuits, T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition was forced to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008. Because the company reached agreements with creditors before its filing, it was able to move quickly through the bankruptcy process.[1]
The T H Agriculture & Nutrition, L.L. C Asbestos Personal Injury Trust was created and funded in 2009 with $900 million in assets and the goal of providing “fair, equitable, and substantially similar treatment” for all claimants. In 2023, the Trust paid 1,238 Asbestos PI Claims, totaling $16,006,418 after the application of the Payment Percentage. From inception through December 31, 2023, the Trust has paid a total of $392,804,730.[6]
Were You Exposed to T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition’s Asbestos?
If you have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease and you believe that the asbestos you were exposed to may have been sourced from T H Agriculture & Nutrition, you may be eligible to file a claim with the company’s asbestos personal injury trust, as well as personal injury claims against the many companies to which it sold and distributed its product.
For information and resources to guide your next steps, contact an experienced asbestos attorney who can help you determine what products you were exposed to and advise you of your rights.
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