Litigation was filed against a company that had manufactured an asbestos-containing pipe insulation in the 1950’s by an individual who claimed to have been exposed to asbestos while working in a store that was under construction at that time. At the time of our investigation, the store in question had been fully renovated and all asbestos-containing materials removed many years prior. There were no records available about the initial construction of the building, the asbestos removal, or the renovation.
We located the retired architect who had designed the renovation of the building, as well as the clerk who oversaw the renovation work, and through them found the asbestos abatement contractor who had removed the asbestos-containing pipe insulation during the renovation. The asbestos-abatement contractor recalled the project, and was able to determine that the pipe insulation that had been removed was a different brand from that sold by the company that was being sued.