Kelly Moore Paint Company

Over the last hundred years, Kelly Moore Paint Company manufactured various products that contained asbestos due to the material’s heat-resistant and durable nature. The company went on to become one of the primary companies in its industry. Despite its success and eventual expansion, Kelly Moore’s use of asbestos placed many people at risk of harm. Because asbestos exposure takes years or decades to lead to deadly conditions, some of these cases are still being discovered. 

Founded in the mid-1940s, Kelly Moore has grown to become one of the biggest products of paint and paint-associated products in the world. Kelly Moore purchased PACO in 1960 and, thereafter, began to sell PACO asbestos containing joint products and spray textures.  By 1984, the company had grown into a large business with 80 stores that grossed over 136 million each year including 11 million in profits. In the 1990s, the company expanded further after it obtained a contract for 50,000 gallons of recycled latex patent with the federal General Services Administration. In recent years, however, the company has been involved in countless asbestos cases.

Over 48,000 lawsuits have been initiated against Kelly More due to asbestos exposure cases. Many of these cases were initiated by painters as well as other workers who were diagnosed with mesothelioma after using Kelly Moore products. Some of the most notable of these cases include:

• One worker who was diagnosed with mesothelioma was awarded $55.5 million in 2001 after exposure to a joint compound product manufactured by Kelly Moore.
• In 2004, a worker won a California trial and received 14% of 36.6 million from Kelly Moore after exposure to the company's Paco Quik-Set joint compound during the 1970s.
• In 2018, the survivors of a man who died from asbestos-related lung cancer initiated a lawsuit against Kelly-Moore. The deceased man had been exposed to asbestos-containing Kelly Moore products which led him to develop lung cancer.
• Kelly Moore once sought a verdict against Union Carbide Corporation, which is now a subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company. An attorney on behalf of Kelly Moore argued that Union Carbide had failed to disclose the dangers associated with asbestos. Attorneys for Union Carbide argued that asbestos hazards were common knowledge in 1964, which was the first year that the company sold asbestos to Kelly Moore.

While it is recognized as a leader in the paint industry, Kelly Moore’s multiple spackling and drywall products contained asbestos. The company also sold joint compounds containing asbestos. Some of the asbestos containing products include PACO All-Purpose Joint Compound, PACO Triple Duty Compound, PACO Quik-Set Joint Compound, PACO Finishing Compound and PACO Taping Compound.  Both contractors, as well as consumers who did home improvement projects, commonly worked with these products. Additionally, if parts of the compound entered the air during the mixing or sanding process, workers were more likely to inhale asbestos fibers.

Being diagnosed with mesothelioma or another associated condition can be a scary experience. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an illness due to asbestos exposure, contact the Throneberry Law Group today at (888) 506-1131 to schedule a free case evaluation.