Founded in 1917, Union Carbide functioned as an asbestos mine in California from 1963 to 1985. The company began mining asbestos in King City in 1962 at a mine that provided a type of chrysotile asbestos the company trademarked as “Calidria.” Union Carbide employed 450 workers at the King City mine. Workers at the King City mine who manufactured and worked with asbestos products are at an elevated risk of developing asbestos-related diseases.
Internal company documents reveal that even at this time, the company’s own scientists reported that asbestos damaged the lungs of rats. Another internal Union Carbide document revealed that officials knew the health effects of asbestos exposure often took decades to appear. Other documents, however, show that the company decided to make the greatest financial profit possible. Later, in 1985, Union Carbide sold the King City mine. This site was the last mine and shut down in 2003. The area around the mine is now a designated hazard area.
Asbestos-Containing Products at Union Carbide
Union Carbide’s King City mine produced several different grades of asbestos power. One of the finest powders produced at the mine was called Resin Grade 244. The company then sold the asbestos to several companies including Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Kelly-Moore Paint Company, and United States Gypsum Company. Companies used Union Carbide’s asbestos powder for various purposes, but some of the most common products manufactured by the company include:
- Adhesives
- Cement
- Drilling fluid
- Joint compound
- Paint
- Sheet packing
- Wall coatings
- Wallboard
Litigation Involving Union Carbide and Asbestos-Containing Materials
Various lawsuits have been filed by former workers at Union Carbide who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. The company has also faced claims from the manufacturers of asbestos-containing materials. Many of these claims have been either settled or dismissed. The first verdict against Union Carbide occurred in 2002, when a worker dying of mesothelioma was awarded $4.2 million. Later, a couple was awarded more than $30 million after the husband developed mesothelioma following decades of work in the 1960s and 1970s with Union Carbide products.
Union Carbide has not filed for bankruptcy. Unlike many other companies that produced asbestos-containing materials, no trust for Union Carbide has been established to compensate workers who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases later on in life.
In its 2018 annual report, Union Carbide listed its asbestos-related liabilities as $1.369 billion until 2049. 84% of this amount is connected to future claims. Currently, 15,427 asbestos claims with the company are unresolved. Because the symptoms associated with asbestos-related diseases take decades after asbestos exposure to appear, the company will likely continue to receive such claims for asbestos-connected diseases like mesothelioma and other lung cancers.
Obtain the Services of an Experienced Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos either while working at or using materials manufactured by Union Carbide, one of the best steps that you can take to obtain the compensation you deserve is to speak with an experienced attorney. Contact our law office today by calling (888) 506-1131 or reach out to us online.
