The UNR Asbestos-Disease Claims Trust closed in 2019. When active it handled claims related to Union Asbestos and Rubber Company’s asbestos insulation products, manufactured for decades before the company filed for bankruptcy.
In 1982, Unarco became the first asbestos product manufacturer to file for bankruptcy. It reorganized in 1990, establishing an asbestos trust fund to address unsettled and future personal injury claims.
The UNR Asbestos-Disease Claims Trust handled claims for nearly 30 years. The asbestos trust fund eventually ran low on funds and closed in 2019. The last day for filing a claim was Dec. 31, 2018.
UNARCO’s Asbestos Trust Fund has closed, yet other forms of assistance remain available to you. A Patient Advocate can assist you in securing VA benefits, working through insurance challenges, locating grants and offer support services for mesothelioma patients and caregivers. They can also connect you with legal professionals who can explore other avenues of mesothelioma compensation.
Legal Help for People Exposed to UNARCO’s Asbestos Products
An experienced asbestos attorney can investigate whether other companies share liability for your mesothelioma or lung cancer, even with UNARCO’s trust fund closed. Workplace asbestos exposure typically spans decades and involves products from numerous manufacturers, making legal expertise essential to building a complete picture of your case.
Our Patient Advocates connect you with qualified mesothelioma lawyers who can evaluate whether you have grounds to pursue workers’ compensation benefits or file claims with other asbestos trust funds. They can also help you potentially explore bringing a mesothelioma lawsuit against additional companies responsible for your exposure.
Beyond legal connections, your Patient Advocate helps you find support groups, identifies mesothelioma specialists suited to your needs, arranges medical appointments and provides resources on treatment approaches and the right mesothelioma diet for your nutritional needs. They’re ready to assist you and your family, offering guidance and support at every stage.
Unarco employees filed compensation claims against the company as early as 1951. At least 17 workers alleged asbestos-related illnesses from handling its products. These early claims showed the health risks workers faced.
Tens of thousands of lawsuits forced Unarco into bankruptcy in 1982. Employees and others exposed to its harmful products filed these claims. The company couldn’t handle the legal pressure from people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other diseases.
Juanita Rodarmel’s family won a $2.5 million verdict in April 2009. She died from mesothelioma after laundering her husband’s Unarco work clothes in the 1950s. Toxic asbestos fibers from his job came home on the clothing. The family sued Pneumo Abex and Honeywell International. They claimed these companies hid asbestos dangers and worked with Unarco to keep workers uninformed. The court agreed and awarded damages.
Unarco’s History With Asbestos
The Union Asbestos and Rubber Company was founded in 1941 and made asbestos insulation products that it marketed for marine, railroad, aviation and industrial use. Unarco’s insulation products were used on pipes, turbines, boilers and other industrial equipment.
One of its insulation products, known as Unarco Insutape, was an insulating tape widely used on railcars. It also made asbestos textiles, such as sound-absorbing blankets, asbestos gaskets and asbestos packing materials. These products were made with amosite asbestos, which is known to be highly carcinogenic.
In the 1950s, Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, an expert on asbestos-related diseases, conducted a survey of the 933 men who were employed at Unarco’s New Jersey factory between 1941 and 1945. He reported they had asbestos-related disease “in much greater proportion than that which could be expected in the general population.” Many of these workers developed asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, that cut their lives short.
Unarco’s employees and factory workers faced the greatest risk of asbestos exposure through the company’s products. Those who worked in manufacturing plants and assembled asbestos products were exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos.
Higher Risk Jobs
Aircraft mechanics
Boiler workers
Construction workers
Factory workers
Industrial workers
Insulators
Mill workers
Pipefitters
Power plant workers
Railroad workers
Refinery workers
Shipyard workers
Welders
Workers who received and unpacked bags of raw amosite asbestos from Unarco’s supplier in South Africa may have encountered the highest levels of exposure. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure.
Unarco’s Asbestos Products
In addition to Unarco employees, anyone who worked with the company’s asbestos products on the job was at high risk of exposure. The long mesothelioma latency period also means those exposed decades ago may only now exhibit symptoms.
Asbestos-Containing Products Unarco Manufactured
Amocel Pipe Insulation
Gaskets
Insubestos Felt
Insutube Slip-On
Insutape Wrap-On
No. 50 Finishing Cement
No. 75 Insulating Cement
Packings (including twisted asbestos rope)
Textiles (asbestos fiber, yarn, tape, tubing and cloth)
Unibestos Block Insulation
Unibestos Pipe Covering
Wovenstone Lace-On
Woven Asbestos Cloth and Lagging Tape
In 1962, Unarco sold its Unibestos product line to Pittsburg Corning, which manufactured these products until 1972. Pittsburg Corning employees were also at risk of asbestos exposure through the manufacturing of these products.
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D. Carl Money is an attorney at Nemeroff Law. He has devoted his career to fighting for workers diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families. Money has more than 25 years of experience fighting for people with asbestos-related diseases. He’s licensed in Texas, New York, England and Wales and belongs to various legal organizations across the U.S. and U.K.
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