Synkoloid Company (ARTRA) Trust Fund and Lawsuits

What Is the Synkoloid Company Asbestos Trust

The Synkoloid Company asbestos trust was created after the previous owners, Muralo and ARTRA Group reorganized in 2007. The ARTRA Group had acquired Synkoloid Company in 1975. Six years later, Muralo Company Inc. purchased the majority of Synkoloid Company’s assets and agreed to assume any future claims against Synkoloid.

However, it refused to take responsibility for any products manufactured before 1981. Because Muralo didn’t use asbestos in any products, the asbestos lawsuits fell to ARTRA. ARTRA continued to take on the suits until it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002.

ARTRA Asbestos Trust Updates

1. The current payment percentage is 0.70%.
2. Mesothelioma has a scheduled payment of $275,000.
3. Lung cancer has a scheduled payment of $40,000.
4. Other cancers have a scheduled payment of $10,000.

After ARTRA went bankrupt, plaintiffs began suing Muralo for Synkoloid product injuries. Because of its small size, Muralo was unable to defend itself against the flow of lawsuits and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2003, which is when it created its asbestos trust fund. By then, the company had been named as a defendant in more than 60,000 asbestos-related lawsuits stemming from Synkoloid products.

Both ARTRA and Muralo reorganized in 2007. As part of a settlement between the 2 companies, Muralo’s insurers contributed $2.5 million to the ARTRA Asbestos Trust, which works to settle all asbestos lawsuits against the Synkoloid Company.

Legal Help for People Exposed to Synkoloid Company Asbestos Products

Workers who handled Synkoloid’s asbestos joint compounds and later developed mesothelioma or other asbestos diseases gain real advantages from skilled legal help. A mesothelioma lawyer assists claimants by documenting exposure history, collecting job records and medical proof and filing full claims to the ARTRA Asbestos Trust before deadlines pass.

Many workers encountered asbestos products from several manufacturers during their careers, so an experienced asbestos attorney digs into your full work history. This full check finds all companies whose items caused your exposure, which matters because some firms never went bankrupt and remain open to direct mesothelioma lawsuits. Your attorney handles trust claims and possible court actions together, making sure one payment source counts right toward others when rules demand it. Our Patient Advocates connect you to these experts who know Synkoloid claims inside out.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits Involving Synkoloid Company

Lawsuits involving Synkoloid’s asbestos products have been filed by plaintiffs diagnosed with asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. In 2002, John Henry Pace filed a lawsuit against Synkoloid for damages after being diagnosed with asbestosis. Pace was a self-employed contractor throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. During this time, he often used the company’s asbestos-containing product line, specifically Synkoloid Triple Duty Joint Compound.

Synkoloid began making the asbestos-containing joint compound in 1949, and in 1969, a supplier informed the company of the deadly health effects of asbestos. Despite the new information, Synkoloid continued manufacturing the product with asbestos until 1975. Pace won his case and was awarded more than $2 million for medical expenses and mental and physical suffering.

Synkoloid’s History With Asbestos

Synkoloid Company made paints, varnishes, adhesives and asphalts in New Jersey from 1949 to 1976. Those products contained high levels of asbestos that exposed workers to serious health risks over time.

ARTRA Group took over in 1975. Lawsuits began in 1962 and accumulated rapidly. ARTRA defended 46,000 cases by 2000. Muralo Company bought most of its assets in 1981 and handled new claims. Muralo didn’t take responsibility for any old products made before 1981.

Muralo kept Synkoloid as a division until 2014. California Products Corporation then bought those holdings. Synkoloid no longer operates. California sells Synkoloid-brand goods without asbestos today.

Occupations at Risk of Exposure to Synkoloid’s Asbestos Products

Synkoloid actively marketed its products to painting contractors, carpenters, drywall finishers and plasterers. Because of this targeting, workers in the construction industry used the company’s products most frequently.

Higher Risk Jobs

• Carpenters
• Construction workers
• Drywall workers
• Maintenance workers
• Inspectors
• Painters
• Plasterers
• Plumbers

Synkoloid Company stopped using asbestos in its products in 1975. Older homes and buildings may still contain Synkoloid products with asbestos.

Synkoloid’s Asbestos Products

Synkoloid Company made many construction products that workers used on walls, roofs and joints. These items contained asbestos fibers that became dangerous when sanded or mixed.

Synkoloid Asbestos-Containing Products

• Cement Patch Tex-Add
• EZE-Tex Texture
• Flexi-Patch
• Kool-Kap Roof Coating
• Plastibond
• Prime ’N Fill
• Snohide
• Stucco ’N Cement Patch
• Surface Conditioner
• Synkoloid Triple Duty Joint Compound
• Synko-Topping Triple Duty Joint Compound
• Tex-Wall
• Vinyl Prep Mix
• Vinyl Tex-Wall Surface Condition Paste

People who used these asbestos-containing products face higher risks of mesothelioma and lung diseases over time. Buildings with these products still need careful checks during repairs today.

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