North American Refractories Company (NARCO) manufactured and supplied refractory products made with asbestos. The company’s asbestos use led to serious illnesses in some workers and resulting claims. Eventually, NARCO filed for bankruptcy and established an asbestos trust to compensate victims.
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Did NARCO Use Asbestos?
NARCO manufactured refractory materials, products designed to withstand very high temperatures in industrial settings. NARCO used asbestos in many of its products to provide insulation, strength, and protection against heat and fire.
NARCO History
Narco was founded in 1929 as a refractory cement manufacturer. For over 50 years, the company remained one of the largest businesses in the refractory industry.
- As the company grew over the years, it added numerous products to its line, including hearths, stove fittings, ceramics, and coatings.
- Many of these products came into NARCO’s lineup after merging with other companies, including the Worldwide Glass Industry, Harbison-Walker, RHI Refractories, and others.
- As NARCO expanded, so did its locations. Manufacturing plants were open in several states, including Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. It supplied many industries, especially the steel mills of the Northeast and Midwest.
- In 1979, Honeywell bought NARCO. From this point on, it ceased to be an independent company. NARCO became a subsidiary of ANH Refractories and then HarbisonWalker International.
- Most of the company’s products needed heat and fire-resistant materials to work correctly. NARCO chose asbestos due to its affordability, ease of use, and ability to withstand extremely high temperatures and fire. This was before the dangers of asbestos were well known.
NARCO eventually stopped using asbestos in its products. The long use of asbestos led to thousands of costly asbestos-related claims and claims. NARCO eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and established a trust fund to compensate claimants.
NARCO Products Made With Asbestos
As a manufacturer of high-temperature refractory materials, NARCO used asbestos in nearly all of its products at one time. These are some of the products and brands of products made by NARCO and known to have contained asbestos:
- Aerogun
- BOF-Cote and BOF-Patch
- W0-339 MC Gun
- Unicote
- Anti-Erode Towel
- CM Gun Mix (including CM-18 Gun Mix)
- Stazon
- MC Gun Mix
- Narcocrete Trowel
- Narcogun CR-346
- Narcogun CR-346NN
- Narcogun CRD-347
- Narcogun MC-339
- Narcogun MCD-344
- Narcogun P-340
- Narcogun PD-345
- Narcogun SD-336
- Narmag 60 DBRC
- Narcolite
- Narmag OH Gun Mix
- Super 505 Hot Gun C
- Narcmag OH Gun Mix
Which Workers Were Affected By NARCO Asbestos Products?
NARCO employees who manufactured asbestos products faced high risks of exposure. By handling and working near asbestos, they likely disturbed fibers and inhaled them. This can later lead to illnesses like mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.
Workers in other industries were also at risk of exposure to asbestos from NARCO products. The company distributed its products to many different workplaces:
- Aluminum plants
- Chemical plants
- Incinerators
- Oil refineries
- Paper mills
- Power plants
- Railroads
- Shipyards
- Steel mills
Any workplaces that used industrial furnaces, boilers, and other heat-generating equipment likely used refractory products. Workers at greatest risk of exposure handled these materials, removed or installed them, or made repairs. These activities would have stirred up fibers that they could have inhaled.
Also at risk of exposure were family members of workers exposed to asbestos. Workers often carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing. Other people in their household could be exposed in this way, which is called secondhand asbestos exposure.
NARCO Asbestos Claims
Court documents state that by the early 2000s, NARCO faced nearly 300,000 asbestos-related claims and claims. Both NARCO, as a subsidiary, and Honeywell, the parent company, were held liable for these claims.
One example of these claims came from two workers, Frederick Moss and Martin Easter, and their wives. They sued NARCO and other asbestos companies in 1999. Moss and Easter worked as engineers at several plants that used NARCO products.
Both men developed mesothelioma, and Easter was also diagnosed with asbestosis. A jury awarded the four plaintiffs $7 million. NARCO appealed the decision but lost.
Another claim involved five plaintiffs awarded $130 million by a jury. NARCO and another company were found liable for the plaintiff’s asbestos illnesses.
NARCO Bankruptcy and Asbestos Trust
Facing so many expensive claims, NARCO filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002. It agreed to set up an asbestos trust fund to compensate future and pending asbestos-related cases.
In 2008, NARCO emerged from bankruptcy and established The NARCO Personal Injury Settlement Trust. The trust fund began accepting claims on October 15, 2013. It was funded with a little over $6 billion.
The NARCO asbestos trust’s payment percentage is 100% — 100% of scheduled value for Expedited Review claims and 100% of gross settlement value for Individual Review, per the trust’s own site. This is unusually high. Most asbestos trusts only pay a fraction of each claimant’s claim.
Honeywell and NARCO clashed over the funding and management of the trust. In 2021, Honeywell sued the trust, claiming overpayment on claims and paying unqualifying claims.
The two sides settled the matter in 2022. Honeywell agreed to pay $1.325 billion into the trust to end its obligations to NARCO asbestos claims.
How to Seek Compensation if You Were Exposed to NARCO Asbestos Products
If you worked with NARCO asbestos products, talk to a mesothelioma lawyer about your legal rights and how to seek compensation. The trust is open to claimants and pays a nearly unprecedented 100% of valid claims, per the trust’s own site.
A mesothelioma lawyer is your best guide in making a successful claim. They can also determine if you have any other options for seeking compensation for your past exposure and current asbestos illness.
Resources for Asbestos Victims
Don’t forget to fill out our form for our free Financial Compensation Packet, filled with information on the experienced asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys in your area. For additional assistance, contact us at 800-793-4540.
