United Gilsonite Laboratories Asbestos Exposure: UGL Products, Trust Claims & Compensation

United Gilsonite Laboratories (UGL) manufactured building and home-repair products and later faced asbestos personal-injury claims involving products including joint compound and joint cement. Federal asbestos litigation provides direct product-identification evidence: in Travis v. 3M Company, a maintenance worker alleged mesothelioma from UGL asbestos-containing joint compound and joint cement used during wall repair and painting work.

UGL filed Chapter 11 in 2011. Its confirmed reorganization established the United Gilsonite Laboratories Asbestos Personal Injury Trust effective December 31, 2014 under Bankruptcy Code §524(g). The Trust remains active. An official September 2024 notice confirms that, effective April 11, 2024, the standard Payment Percentage is 3.35%; a defined class of previously released claims remains subject to an 11% Released Claims Payment Percentage. The Trust’s 2024 annual report states that it paid 116 claims totaling $849,171 during 2024 and had $13,736,459 in total assets at year-end.

🏢 United Gilsonite History & Bankruptcy

The Trust’s audited financial statements state that UGL’s Chapter 11 reorganization created the asbestos personal-injury trust effective December 31, 2014. The Trust was established to assume qualifying asbestos liabilities, preserve and manage assets, and process, liquidate and pay Trust Claims under the TDP.

UGL Facts at a Glance

Topic	Confirmed information
Company	United Gilsonite Laboratories.
Historical business	Building, coating, repair and related products.
Asbestos litigation product evidence	Joint compound / joint cement documented in federal litigation.
Chapter 11	2011.
Trust effective date	December 31, 2014.
Trust	United Gilsonite Laboratories Asbestos Personal Injury Trust.
Claims filing	Trust states claims could be filed beginning December 17, 2015.
Current standard Payment Percentage	3.35%, effective April 11, 2024.

Bankruptcy / Trust Timeline

Period	Development
Pre-bankruptcy	UGL faced asbestos personal-injury litigation involving historical products.
March 2011	Chapter 11 case commenced.
Sept. 30, 2014	Modified First Amended Plan dated.
Dec. 31, 2014	Trust established on Plan Effective Date.
Dec. 17, 2015	Trust began accepting paper claims.
March 17, 2016	Online e-File claims began.
June 2016	Trust began paying claims.
April 11, 2024	Standard Payment Percentage reset to 3.35%.
Dec. 31, 2024	Trust reported $13.736 million total assets and $13.417 million net claimants’ equity.

See Construction Materials Companies & Asbestos Exposure.

🧱 UGL Asbestos Joint Compound & Products

UGL asbestos litigation and the Trust are tied to historical asbestos-containing products. The federal Travis decision specifically describes allegations involving UGL asbestos-containing joint compound and joint cement. Product name, formulation and use period remain important because this evidence does not establish that every product ever manufactured by UGL contained asbestos.

Documented Product Evidence

Product / category	Evidence-based treatment
UGL joint compound	Federal MDL-875 decision describes alleged asbestos-containing UGL joint compound.
UGL joint cement	Same federal decision describes alleged asbestos-containing UGL joint cement.
Other historical UGL asbestos products	Trust claims may involve qualifying UGL asbestos exposure supported by product/site evidence.
Modern UGL products	Do not characterize current products as asbestos-containing based solely on historical litigation.

Product Accuracy Rules

Statement	Accurate treatment
UGL made historical asbestos-containing joint compound/cement	Supported by federal litigation and Trust history.
Every UGL product contained asbestos	Not established.
Every historical UGL repair product contained asbestos	Not established.
Brand name alone proves asbestos exposure	No.
Product identification and exposure evidence matter	Yes.
Modern product can be assumed asbestos-containing	No.

👷 Workers, Homes & Jobsites

Historical exposure allegations include construction, maintenance and renovation work where joint compound or joint cement was mixed, applied, sanded or removed. The Travis record involved a maintenance worker performing wall repair and painting at an apartment complex.

Workers & Activities to Investigate

Worker / person	Potential historical activity
Drywall finishers	Mixing, applying and sanding joint compound.
Painters	Wall preparation and sanding near joint compound.
Maintenance workers	Repairing walls and ceilings.
Carpenters / remodelers	Renovation involving finished wall systems.
Construction laborers	Mixing, cleanup and debris handling.
Demolition workers	Disturbing historical wall materials.
Home renovators	Mixing/sanding historical repair compounds.
Household members	Secondary exposure requires claimant-specific evidence under Trust rules.

Evidence From Worksites & Homes

Evidence	Why useful
Employment records	Establish trade, employer and dates.
Invoices / receipts	May identify UGL products.
Product bags/containers	Strong product-identification evidence.
Photographs	May show brand/product at site.
Coworker testimony	Can corroborate product and work practices.
Building records	May establish renovation/maintenance periods.

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🌫️ How UGL Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Joint compound exposure analysis often focuses on dust-producing tasks. Mixing dry compound, sanding dried compound, demolition and cleanup may create different exposure conditions than simply being near intact finished walls. The claimant must still connect the dust to a qualifying UGL asbestos-containing product.

Potential Exposure Activities

Activity	Potential pathway
Dry mixing	Dust from powdered historical compound.
Sanding	Dust from dried joint compound.
Wall repair	Repeated application/removal during maintenance.
Demolition	Disturbance of finished wall systems.
Cleanup	Sweeping or handling generated dust/debris.
Secondary contact	Dust transported from occupational work, subject to proof.

Exposure Questions

Question	Why it matters
Was the product made by UGL?	Trust exposure must connect to UGL.
Did the formulation contain asbestos?	Not every UGL product can be assumed asbestos-containing.
When and where was it used?	Supports exposure history.
Was it mixed/sanded/disturbed?	Relevant to airborne exposure pathway.
How often was work performed?	Frequency/duration can matter.
Can records or witnesses corroborate it?	Strengthens claim evidence.

⚖️ UGL Asbestos Trust & Claims

The UGL Asbestos Personal Injury Trust processes qualifying asbestos claims under its TDP. The official September 26, 2024 notice states that the standard Payment Percentage was set at 3.35% effective April 11, 2024. The same notice explains that defined Released Claims are paid using an 11% Released Claims Payment Percentage.

Current Trust Facts

Trust fact	Confirmed information
Trust	United Gilsonite Laboratories Asbestos Personal Injury Trust.
Established	December 31, 2014.
Framework	§524(g) asbestos personal-injury trust.
Standard Payment Percentage	3.35%, effective April 11, 2024.
Released Claims Payment Percentage	11% for the specifically defined Released Claims class.
2024 claims paid	116.
2024 cash payments	$849,171.
Total claims paid through Dec. 31, 2024	1,184.
2024 year-end total assets	$13,736,459.
2024 year-end net claimants’ equity	$13,417,491.

Official Published Disease Values

Disease Level	Published adjusted value information
Level VIII — Mesothelioma	2019 inflation notice: Scheduled $208,487; Average $234,548; Maximum $416,975.
Level VII — Lung Cancer 1	Scheduled $21,891; Average $23,455; Maximum $31,273.
Level VI — Lung Cancer 2	No Scheduled Value; Average $12,509; Maximum $16,158.
Level V — Other Cancer	Scheduled/Average/Maximum $9,382.
Level IV — Severe Asbestosis	Scheduled $12,509; Average $13,031; Maximum $15,637.
Level III — Asbestosis/Pleural Disease	$1,564.
Level II — Asbestosis/Pleural Disease	$939.
Level I — Other Asbestos Disease	$0.

Important: These disease figures are the adjusted values published in the Trust’s official inflation notice effective January 1, 2019. The Trust’s Resources page now lists a newer inflation-adjustment notice, so claimants should verify the latest applicable values before relying on a dollar figure.

Payment Percentage Examples

Example	Mathematical illustration
$200,000 liquidated claim × 3.35%	$6,700.
$100,000 liquidated claim × 3.35%	$3,350.
$50,000 liquidated claim × 3.35%	$1,675.
Defined Released Claim × 11%	Different percentage applies only if the claim meets the official Released Claims definition.

These examples are arithmetic only and are not payment quotes or guarantees. Actual payment depends on claim liquidation, applicable current values, claim status and Trust rules.

📊 Documented UGL Asbestos Cases

Federal MDL litigation and official bankruptcy/trust records provide strong documentation. Court outcomes also show why product identification matters: being exposed to construction dust generally is not enough without evidence connecting the claimant to a defendant’s asbestos-containing product.

Selected Records

Record	Significance
Travis v. 3M Co., E.D. Pa. MDL-875 (2010)	Mesothelioma action alleging exposure to UGL asbestos-containing joint compound/joint cement during apartment maintenance work; product identification was central.
NYCAL Dixon order (2010)	UGL obtained an unopposed dismissal in that particular asbestos case; not a finding that UGL never made asbestos products.
2014 Plan notice	Describes §524(g) channeling of Trust Claims under UGL’s reorganization.
Official UGL Trust TDP	Controls claim processing, liquidation and payment.
Official Sept. 2024 Payment Percentage notice	Confirms 3.35% standard percentage effective April 11, 2024 and 11% for defined Released Claims.
2024 Trust Annual Report	Reports assets, claims paid and cash payments.

Evidence Limits

Finding	Correct interpretation
UGL asbestos joint-compound allegations	Documented.
UGL established §524(g) trust	Confirmed.
Every UGL product contained asbestos	Not established.
Every worker who used UGL qualifies	No.
3.35% guarantees a set payment	No.
2010 dismissal proves no UGL asbestos liability generally	No; it resolved claims in that specific case.

📋 Claim Evidence & Trust Requirements

A Trust claim requires medical and exposure evidence under the current TDP. Claimants should use the Trust’s current filing instructions and claim form and verify current disease values, statutes-of-limitations rules, audit requirements and Payment Percentage before filing.

Evidence That May Help

Medical and pathology records supporting the claimed asbestos disease.
Employment, union and Social Security records.
UGL bags, labels, containers, invoices or receipts.
Construction, maintenance or renovation records.
Coworker or family testimony identifying UGL products.
Evidence of mixing, sanding, removal or other dusty work.
Secondary-exposure evidence where applicable.
Current Trust claim form and supporting documentation.

Claim Checklist

Step	Question
1	Is a qualifying asbestos-related disease documented?
2	Can UGL product/exposure be established?
3	Are exposure dates and locations documented?
4	Can witnesses or records corroborate product use?
5	Does the claim satisfy current medical/exposure criteria?
6	Has the latest inflation-adjusted valuation notice been checked?
7	Has the current Payment Percentage notice been checked?
8	Are filing deadlines and audit requirements satisfied?

Numbers We Do Not Invent

Item	Treatment
Current post-2024 total assets	Do not extrapolate from the 2024 audited report.
Average individual payout	Not inferred from aggregate annual payments.
Guaranteed mesothelioma payment	None.
Latest inflation-adjusted value	Use the current Trust notice rather than assuming 2019 values remain current.
Future Payment Percentage	Can change.
Guaranteed compensation	None.

Compensation is not guaranteed.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Did United Gilsonite Laboratories manufacture asbestos-containing products?

Federal asbestos litigation documents allegations involving UGL asbestos-containing joint compound and joint cement, and UGL’s confirmed reorganization created a §524(g) trust for qualifying asbestos personal-injury claims.

What workers may have encountered historical UGL asbestos products?

Potentially exposed groups include drywall finishers, maintenance workers, painters, remodelers, construction laborers and others who mixed, sanded, removed or worked near qualifying historical UGL products.

When did UGL file bankruptcy?

United Gilsonite Laboratories commenced Chapter 11 proceedings in 2011. Its reorganization became effective December 31, 2014.

Does UGL have an asbestos trust?

Yes. The United Gilsonite Laboratories Asbestos Personal Injury Trust processes, liquidates and pays qualifying claims under its TDP.

What is the current UGL Trust Payment Percentage?

The official September 2024 notice states that the standard Payment Percentage is 3.35%, effective April 11, 2024. Defined Released Claims are subject to an 11% Released Claims Payment Percentage.

How many claims did the UGL Trust pay in 2024?

The 2024 annual report states that 116 claims were liquidated and paid during 2024 for $849,171 after application of the Payment Percentage.

How much did the UGL Trust hold at the end of 2024?

Its audited financial statements report $13,736,459 in total assets and $13,417,491 in net claimants’ equity as of December 31, 2024.

What evidence is important for a UGL claim?

Medical documentation, product identification, exposure dates and locations, employment records, invoices or packaging, and witness testimony may be important. Current TDP requirements control eligibility.

🧾 United Gilsonite Laboratories Asbestos Summary

Detail	Confirmed / carefully qualified information
Company	United Gilsonite Laboratories.
Documented asbestos litigation products	Joint compound and joint cement.
Chapter 11	2011.
Trust effective date	December 31, 2014.
Trust	UGL Asbestos Personal Injury Trust.
Standard Payment Percentage	3.35%, effective April 11, 2024.
Defined Released Claims percentage	11%.
2024 claims paid	116 totaling $849,171.
2024 total assets	$13,736,459.
2024 net claimants’ equity	$13,417,491.
Guaranteed compensation	No.

📚 Confirmed Primary & Court Sources

Submit Your Case

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Live chat is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
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Working with or around a UGL product does not automatically establish a compensable asbestos claim. Product identity, asbestos content, exposure dates, work activity, medical evidence and current Trust Distribution Procedures must be evaluated individually. Compensation is not guaranteed.

⚕️ Legal & Medical Information Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information and is not legal or medical advice. Consult qualified healthcare and legal professionals for individual guidance.