Johns Manville & Asbestos

Johns Manville dates back to the 1850s, when Henry Johns began making roof shingles and later patented his first asbestos product. His company eventually merged with Manville Covering Company, which made pipe insulation. The then-named Johns-Manville Corporation became a publicly traded corporation in 1927.

Employees of Johns Manville began filing for disability because of lung diseases as early as 1929. Asbestos-related injury lawsuits were filed against it starting in the 1960s. In 1982, Johns Manville filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company formed the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust in 1988 to handle the hundreds of thousands of asbestos injury claims and lawsuits filed against it. The claims included people exposed at jobsites, at home and through secondary exposure. The trust was the first of its kind for asbestos claims.

Johns Manville emerged from bankruptcy protection in 1988 and was purchased by Berkshire Hathaway in 2001., It has changed names several times, but now uses the name Johns Manville (JM). The company no longer manufactures asbestos-containing products.

JM has more than $8 billion in annual sales. It has more than 40 manufacturing facilities and 8,000 employees around the world.

In typical bankruptcies, companies know their creditors. They’re aware of how much they owe and to whom.

Johns Manville, though, faced a different situation. It was a solvent company facing thousands of lawsuits, with new cases being filed. It was impossible to know how much they owed. Johns Manville filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Manville Trust allowed the company to handle its liabilities while it continued to operate.

Motley Rice experience with Johns Manville asbestos litigation

Motley Rice co-founder Ron Motley was instrumental in the bankruptcy proceedings that led to the creation of the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust. Motley Rice members still hold an advisory position on the trust.

Mr. Motley helped expose the infamous Sumner-Simpson papers, which discussed how much the industry knew about the dangers of asbestos. He was also the attorney who called out the asbestos industry’s decades-long knowledge of the detrimental and fatal impacts of asbestos.

American Lawyer dubbed Motley the “Man Who Took on Manville” because of his efforts.

The Manville Trust evaluates claims from people who developed serious illnesses from exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing products made by Johns Manville or its associated companies. The fund was established in 1988.

As of 2026, the Manville Trust has paid over $5 billion to more than one million claimants.
Learn more about bankruptcy trust claims.

How many Johns Manville asbestos claims are there?

According to recent reports from the Manville trust, the company continues to settle trust fund claims. More than 10,000 trust claims have been settled each year, with recent totals showing the scope of remaining claims:

• 2024: 13,572 totaling approximately $49.5 million
• 2023: 14,948 totaling approximately $55.1 million
• 2022: 13,487 totaling approximately $55.4 million
• 2021: 20,638 totaling approximately $63.5 million
• 2020: 16,028 totaling approximately $61.5 million

Travelers Insurance controversy

Travelers Insurance insured Johns Manville from the 1940s through the 1970s. In 2004, Travelers was ordered to pay $500 million to settle more than 500,000 claims against the company. Travelers fought the order until 2014, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the 2004 settlement agreement was binding and enforceable.

Learn more about Travelers Co.

Johns Manville was the defendant in the first asbestos lawsuit filed in the U.S. The attorney of Anna Pirskowski, who worked at Johns Manville, filed the lawsuit in 1929 on behalf of 11 plaintiffs. The company continued to face lawsuits over the years. Verdicts and settlements include:

• $90 million to New Jersey families (2014): The plaintiffs were families who lost loved ones to mesothelioma. Some had worked at a Johns Manville plant that was their town’s namesake, but others developed the illness through secondary exposure.
• A $20.5 million verdict in favor of Bill Hardcastle (2001): After four decades working at a pipe manufacturing plant, Hardcastle developed mesothelioma. He died less than a month after the verdict. Johns Manville was the original owner of the plant where Hardcastle worked.
• $2.3 million in Cavett lawsuit (1985): Mary Cavett was awarded $2.3 million, which was upheld by a federal appeals court. The court’s opinion said the evidence proved that Johns Manville was aware of the dangers of asbestos, but refused to warn users. Cavett’s husband, James, worked with asbestos insulation during his years as a boilermaker.
• $79,436 in the Clarence Borel lawsuit (1971): The plaintiff worked with asbestos insulation for more than 30 years and died before the court reached a verdict. The case affirmed that asbestos manufacturers were liable for the safety of their products. The ruling set off a major wave of asbestos litigation. Johns Manville was among the group of defendants.

Can you file an asbestos lawsuit against Johns Manville?

No, you can’t file an asbestos exposure lawsuit against Johns Manville. The purpose of the Manville Trust is to compensate people who developed serious illnesses, like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, as a result of exposure to Johns Manville asbestos products. Filing a claim is the current process for compensation rather than filing a lawsuit.

Do I need a lawyer to file a Johns Manville claim?

No, you don’t need a lawyer to file a Johns Manville claim. You can complete a proof of claim form, which also requires you to provide evidence of illness.

However, an attorney can help navigate the process more easily. They may also be equipped to help you seek the maximum settlement amount. In addition, people with asbestos diseases were often exposed to products manufactured by several companies. An asbestos lawyer can help pinpoint which manufacturers were responsible for your exposure and keep track of which trusts to file with and which lawsuits to pursue.

Did all asbestos companies have bankruptcy trusts?

No, not all asbestos companies formed trusts to manage personal injury and wrongful death claims. John Crane Company, for example, was able to compensate seriously ill claimants without a trust. However, there are dozens of asbestos company trusts that continue to evaluate and pay claims.

Motley Rice co-founder Joe Rice and many other Motley Rice attorneys have built on the work started by Ron Motley. They’ve been tireless advocates for those who developed mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases – and also for their family members afflicted by secondary exposure.

Learn more about our toxic exposure litigation experience.