Was Occidental Chemical Corporation (Durez / Hooker Successor) asbestos documented in litigation?

Occidental Chemical Corporation (Durez / Hooker Successor) is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to Occidental Chemical Corporation (Durez / Hooker Successor) asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Occidental Chemical Corporation (Durez / Hooker Successor) products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Phenolic-Compounds

Occidental Chemical Corporation (Durez / Hooker Successor) Asbestos Phenolic Compounds

⚖ Litigation Record1900s-1980s asbestos era; aged units serviced for decades afterYes (asbestos-bearing component or product line named in publicly filed U.S. asbestos litigation)

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Manufacturer Background

Occidental Chemical Corporation is the corporate successor to Hooker Chemical and Durez Plastics & Chemicals, Inc. — principal U.S. manufacturers of asbestos-filled phenolic molding compounds (including Durez Durite brand) during the asbestos era. Occidental Chemical Corporation is named as a defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos litigation including the Duke v. CBS Corporation et al. case (Cause No. 1822-CC00339, City of St. Louis MO). Per publicly filed allegations, Durez / Hooker / Occidental asbestos-filled phenolic compounds (including the Durez Durite product line, Durez 23693 phenolic-asbestos composition, and related Durez electrical-grade and thermoset-resin compounds) allegedly entered the U.S. transformer, switchgear, and electrical equipment supply chain at North Tonawanda NY, Kenton OH, and Niagara Falls NY plants. Workers at Durez plants and at downstream end-user facilities (including Square D, Westinghouse, GE, and the broader U.S. transformer and electrical-equipment manufacturing base) allegedly handled asbestos-filled Durez phenolic compounds throughout the 1940s-1978 asbestos era.

Documented Asbestos-Bearing Products

Durez Durite asbestos-filled phenolic molding compounds (see dedicated AP product page)
Durez 23693 phenolic-asbestos composition
Durez electrical-grade phenolic compounds (see dedicated AP product page)
Durez thermoset resins
Durez asbestos-filled phenolic compounds (allegedly through 1978 manufacturing cutoff)

How Workers Were Exposed

Per publicly filed allegations in U.S. asbestos litigation, workers were allegedly exposed to Occidental Chemical / Durez / Hooker asbestos-bearing components during:

Original manufacturing and assembly at Occidental Chemical / Durez / Hooker plants
Industrial installation of Occidental Chemical / Durez / Hooker components into transformer, pump, valve, electrical-distribution, and process-equipment assemblies
Field service, maintenance, and rebuild — including in-service component replacement and overhaul at utility substations, transformer service centers, refineries, power plants, paper mills, and broader industrial facilities
Dismantling and decommissioning — removing aged asbestos-bearing components from field equipment
Machining, drilling, sawing, and grinding — finishing operations on cured asbestos-bearing components

Workforce Trade Hub

Component Supplier Crosswalk

Legal Considerations

Workers exposed to Occidental Chemical / Durez / Hooker components at any U.S. transformer plant, service center, utility substation, industrial facility, pump or valve installation, or downstream end-user site may have legal rights if they have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

All consultations are free. No fee unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf.

This information reflects exposure pathways and product documentation drawn from publicly filed asbestos litigation, federal regulatory records, and industry archives. It does not constitute a finding of fact or liability with respect to any specific manufacturer, supplier, or facility operator.

Product Facts

Trade NameOccidental Chemical Corporation (Durez / Hooker Successor) Asbestos Phenolic Compounds

Years Produced1900s-1980s asbestos era; aged units serviced for decades after

Asbestos ContentYes (asbestos-bearing component or product line named in publicly filed U.S. asbestos litigation)

CategoryPhenolic-Compounds Transformer-Components

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Transformer dismantlers and rebuildersIndustrial electriciansPump and valve techniciansCoil windersBushing technicians

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Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

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