In the face of overwhelming personal injury and wrongful death claims, including mesothelioma lawsuits, what remains of the once-iconic Uniroyal Tire and Rubber Company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. If approved, the action will dissolve its operations and establish a settlement trust to resolve all outstanding claims. Over its 41-year history, the company has faced more than 516,000 asbestos-related claims.
Company Says Mesothelioma and Asbestos Claims Became Insurmountable
Since its formation in 1985, the Connecticut-based company has resolved 216,994 mesothelioma and asbestos claims and made just under $500 million in payments. Another 264,232 claims were dismissed, but that still left more than 35,000 cases pending. With its experienced legal management team set to retire, the company is now opting for bankruptcy.
The company’s mesothelioma and asbestos liability stems from decades of manufacturing asbestos-containing products, including Asbeston, a lightweight lagging cloth largely used for insulation repair and covering. U.S. Navy shipyards were major buyers of Asbeston, with the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard alone ordering 13,391 pounds in 1959 and an additional 5,880 pounds in 1960. Uniroyal reportedly discontinued asbestos in its products in 1976, but by then decades of exposure had already affected workers across multiple industries.
Mesothelioma Risk Extended from Shipyards to Auto Shops to Rubber Manufacturing Plants
The mesothelioma and asbestos-related disease risks from Uniroyal’s products impacted multiple occupations, including shipyard and naval workers, automotive technicians, aircraft maintenance teams, boilermakers, insulators, and military veterans. All faced asbestos exposure from Uniroyal’s products over decades of industrial use.
In addition to outside workers, a 1986 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study examining toxic exposure among 987 workers at multiple Uniroyal rubber manufacturing plants documented asbestos exposure levels that frequently exceeded OSHA’s permissible limits. Medical screenings identified 24 workers showing clear evidence of asbestos exposure, including the pleural plaques and chest wall thickening that often progress to mesothelioma.
For the thousands of mesothelioma victims and families with pending claims against Uniroyal, the bankruptcy filing means their cases will now be resolved through a settlement trust. If you or someone you love has been impacted by Uniroyal asbestos products and you need assistance, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net at 1-800-692-8608.
