Former Waldorf Paper Company workers exposed to asbestos may qualify for damages – Twin Cities

Former workers at the past Waldorf Paper Company plant in downtown St. Paul who were diagnosed with certain cancers and their family members may qualify for cash benefits due to asbestos exposure.

Birmingham, Alabama law firm Norris Injury Lawyers announced a specific initiative on March 13 to help those who may qualify for damages after working at the Waldorf Company for at least five years prior to 1982 receive them.

Following determined links between asbestos exposure and cancers decades ago, federal bankruptcy courts required asbestos manufacturers across the country to set aside millions of dollars in private trusts for those whose exposure at specific sites would ultimately lead to disease, said Robert Norris of Norris Injury Lawyers.

There is no statute of limitations on these claims, but those who file claims likely will be asked to provide related employment and medical records, which is where Norris says his firm can help.

“It’s a really useful thing once people figure it out,” said Norris. “We send out hundreds of checks every month to people all over the country … It’s just a process. We gotta jump through a lot of hoops.”

The firm is providing free evaluations of claims at 800-478-9578, with more information at getnorris.com/asb. Based on this evaluation, the firm would assist those interested in filing a claim through the legal process. Norris said the firm will not charge those who use their services to file their claims unless they receive benefits.

Waldorf Corporation was sold to Atlanta, Georgia-based Rock-Tenn Company, now named WestRock, in 1997. WestRock shut down corrugated paper production at the St. Paul plant in October 2022, laying off 130 workers. However, the production of coated recycled boards remains in operation.

Asbestos-based products were used for decades at the St. Paul Waldorf plant, but because it can take 10 to 40 years for asbestos-related cancers to appear, some former workers or their families of those deceased may just now qualify for damages. Lung cancer, esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, and mesothelioma can be caused by asbestos exposure.

Depending on the diagnosed cancer, those who qualify for damages typically receive from a few thousand dollars to up to $60,000, Norris said.

Norris said the biggest challenge Norris Injury Lawyers faces is convincing people who may qualify for benefits due to exposure at places like the Waldorf plant that their services are not a scam. He said he encourages people to reach out to the firm themselves or through outside lawyers for a full explanation of how the process works and how they can receive money.

“We have hundreds of people with viable claims that are just afraid to do anything,” he said.