Unarco (Union Asbestos and Rubber Company) used asbestos to produce construction materials, especially insulation. Unarco filed for bankruptcy in 1982. It established a trust fund after facing thousands of lawsuits from workers exposed to asbestos.
If you suffer from mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, you may be eligible for a large amount of compensation. Currently, there is over $30 billion in asbestos trust funds set up for those who have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness. Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensation Packet. You’ll learn about the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in your area, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a claim for the asbestos trust funds, and more.
FREE Financial Compensation Packet
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Did Unarco Use Asbestos?
Unarco today manufactures shopping carts. In the past, Unarco made insulation products using asbestos. It continued using asbestos until 1962 when it switched from making insulation to making shopping carts.
Most manufacturers of insulation used asbestos in the middle of the 20th century. Asbestos is an inexpensive and effective insulator.
Unarco History
- Unarco was founded in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1941 and manufactured asbestos-containing insulation products.
- The end of World War II led to a housing and construction boom in the U.S. Unarco took advantage of the boom and expanded.
- Unarco once dominated the insulation industry in the U.S. It made and sold various insulation and construction products for residential construction, industrial settings, boilers, and furnaces.
- In 1962, Unarco sold its Unibestos line of asbestos insulation to Pittsburgh Corning and shifted its focus to manufacturing and distributing commercial shopping carts. It changed its name to Unarco Commercial Products and relocated to Oklahoma.
- Unarco began facing lawsuits from workers who got sick after exposure to asbestos in its insulation. Unarco became the first company to file for bankruptcy because of asbestos liabilities. It filed in 1982 and established an asbestos trust fund.
Asbestos Products Made By Unarco
Unarco made products for the construction industry, both commercial and industrial. Most of its products were insulating and contained asbestos. These are some examples:
- Amocel pipe insulation
- Asbestos fibers
- Asbestos rope
- Cloth
- Gaskets
- Insubestos felt
- Insutape slip-on
- Insutape wrap-on
- No. 50 and 75 finishing cement
- Packing
- Tubing
- Unibestos block insulation
- Unibestos pipe covering
- Woven lagging tape
Occupations Affected by Unarco Asbestos Products
Unarco’s employees were the first in line to be exposed to asbestos. The workers in manufacturing facilities either handled asbestos directly or worked near it, risking exposure. When handled, asbestos often releases fibers that anyone in the area can easily inhale.
Unarco distributed asbestos insulation to many different industries, affecting people in several occupations:
- Construction Workers
- Insulators
- Factory and industrial workers
- Boiler workers
- Welders
- Pipefitters
- Shipyard workers
- Railroad workers
- Power plant workers
- Oil refinery workers
- Steel mill workers
- Chemical plant workers
Asbestos Exposure at Unarco’s Paterson, New Jersey Factor
More than one study found evidence of asbestos illnesses linked with asbestos in the Unarco plant in Paterson, New Jersey. The first was a survey of Unarco employees who worked at the factory in the 1940s. The researchers found that these Unarco factory workers had a much higher rate of asbestos diseases than the general population.
A study in the 1970s followed up with the families affected by asbestos at Unarco in the 1940s and 1950s. The study found that some of the wives and children of the workers were also beginning to show signs of asbestos illnesses.
About 40% of people who experienced secondhand exposure had lung abnormalities. The researchers recorded mesothelioma in three children of Unarco workers and lung cancer in one.
Unarco Asbestos Lawsuits
Unarco began facing asbestos lawsuits in the 1950s. In 1951, several employees filed claims with Unarco, stating that working with asbestos made them sick.
More recently, a family sued Unarco in 2009. Juanita Rodarmel died from mesothelioma after experiencing secondhand asbestos exposure. Her husband worked for Unarco. She was exposed to asbestos on his clothing for years. The Rodarmel family received a $2 million settlement after their lawyers showed the company attempted to hide the dangers of working with asbestos.
While Unarco faced many lawsuits, some were filed against Pittsburgh Corning, which acquired Unibestos insulation in 1962 and continued making it.
Bankruptcy and Asbestos Trust Fund
The claims continued for several more decades until 1982 when Unarco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was the first asbestos company to file for bankruptcy. Several other companies followed its lead.
Johns Manville, one of the largest manufacturers of asbestos products, filed for bankruptcy just a few months after Unarco.
As part of its bankruptcy plan, Unarco eventually established an asbestos trust fund. Known as the UNR Trust, it was set up in February 1990 to compensate all pending and future asbestos-related claims.
The trust was funded with $114 million and accepted claims from workers exposed to Unarco asbestos before 1982. The trust closed in 2019 when it ran out of funds.
Unarco’s History of Suppressing Information
As with many other asbestos manufacturers, Unarco hid known information that using asbestos would potentially cause life-threatening diseases.
During a 2007 trial in which a former employee filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against the company, the court determined that Unarco was liable for the worker’s toxic illness. It also found the company hid information that asbestos was dangerous to consumers and employees.
Unarco was ultimately ordered to pay the plaintiff $2.6 million.
Unarco Today
In 2003, Unarco developed a cart restoration program and, by 2006, started a cart restoration facility. It now focuses solely on manufacturing both metal and plastic shopping carts.
The company does not use asbestos in any of its products today.
What to Do if You Were Exposed to Unarco Asbestos Products
If you worked with or around Unarco products, talk to an asbestos law firm about your legal options. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help you find alternative sources of compensation now that the Unarco trust is closed.
Most people with asbestos illnesses were exposed to asbestos through multiple companies. By reviewing your work history, a lawyer should be able to find potential defendants and asbestos trust funds for which you qualify.
Resources and Help for Asbestos Victims
Remember, if you or a loved one have been injured by asbestos, there is a great chance that you’ll qualify for considerable compensation for pain, suffering, medical expenses, and more. Remember to fill out our form for your free Financial Compensation Packet, with information on asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers in your area.
