Jerry Cook and Jack Caldwell started a drywall business in the 1940s. They founded Caldwell & Cook in 1952 and since then have built over 3,600 homes in the Rochester area.  Up until the late 1970s, workers employed by Caldwell and Cook may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials during the installation and maintenance of drywall. 

Workers were involved in the application of asbestos-containing joint compound (mud) in order to seal seams between sheets of drywall. Asbestos-containing joint compound was manufactured as either a dry mix (a powder that requires water in order to form a paste for application) or as ready-mix (an application-ready product). Dry mix joint compound was packaged in paper bags, and it was mixed with water, in order to form a paste and applied to the drywall. Three coats of joint compound were generally applied to drywall seams. After one coat of compound dried, it was sanded down to a smooth surface. During both the mixing and sanding processes of asbestos joint compound, dust and fibers were released into the air putting not only drywall finishers at risk for exposure, but others who also worked in the same vicinity.

Our attorneys have gathered a vast amount of information concerning the type and variety of asbestos containing products to which our clients were exposed. If you or a loved one once worked for Caldwell & Cook and have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, please contact us for a free case evaluation