Uniroyal Holding Inc. Asbestos Exposure: Textiles, Navy Work & Bankruptcy Claims

Uniroyal Holding Inc. is a legacy company connected to the former United States Rubber Company and Uniroyal, Inc. Its documented asbestos liabilities primarily involve historical textile operations. A 2026 bankruptcy disclosure states that the business developed lightweight asbestos-containing cloth at the U.S. Navy’s request during World War II and discontinued its asbestos textile line in early 1976.

Uniroyal Holding and Great Hill Corporation filed Chapter 11 on July 31, 2026. Their proposed plan would establish a settlement trust for present and future personal-injury and wrongful-death claims, but the trust was not operating as of September 17, 2026. The disclosure-statement approval hearing is scheduled for September 23, 2026. No payment percentage or disease values should be presented as effective.

🏢 Uniroyal Holding Company History and Asbestos Context

The company’s roots reach the United States Rubber Company, organized in New Jersey in 1892. The enterprise later used the Uniroyal name and operated tire, rubber, chemical and industrial businesses. Its court-filed disclosure statement explains how Uniroyal Holding later assumed certain discontinued-business liabilities, including asbestos textile claims.

Uniroyal history relevant to asbestos claims
Date	Documented event	Claim significance
1892	United States Rubber Company was organized in New Jersey.	Establishes a predecessor name found in historical records.
World War II	The company developed lightweight asbestos-containing cloth at the Navy’s request.	Connects the textile product to military shipboard use.
Early 1976	The asbestos textile business was discontinued.	Provides the product-line cutoff identified in the disclosure statement.
1985	Uniroyal Holding was formed and assumed specified discontinued-business liabilities.	Links legacy asbestos textile claims to the debtor.
1990	The tire partnership interest was sold to Michelin.	Separates the debtor from Michelin’s modern Uniroyal tire business.
1997	Great Hill Corporation was formed to assume remaining unknown liabilities from a liquidating trust.	Great Hill is an affiliated debtor in the 2026 case.
July 31, 2026	Uniroyal Holding and Great Hill filed Chapter 11 petitions.	The proposed plan would create a settlement trust if approved and effective.
September 23, 2026	Disclosure-statement approval hearing scheduled.	The plan remained proposed as of this page’s review date.

The Michelin-owned Uniroyal tire brand states that its current operations are separate from Uniroyal Holding’s bankruptcy. Historical liability evidence should not be used to characterize modern tires. See automotive companies and asbestos exposure.

⚙️ Uniroyal Asbestos Textiles and Documented Products

The strongest product evidence concerns asbestos textiles, especially fire-resistant cloth supplied for Navy vessels. The disclosure statement calls the historical enterprise one of six original asbestos textile manufacturers and says it was the smallest by product volume. It does not support adding unrelated gaskets, adhesives, tires or rubber goods to the documented list.

Asbestos products supported by primary records
Product or category	Documented support	Qualification
Lightweight asbestos-containing cloth	Developed at the Navy’s request during World War II.	The filing does not identify every ship or installation.
Fire-resistant asbestos fabric	Installed on U.S. Navy vessels.	Claimants still need product and shipboard evidence.
Asbestos textile products	The debtor identifies a historical textile operation.	The category should not be expanded without records.
Asbeston textile	A 1955 patent describes U.S. Rubber asbestos fabric under an Asbeston designation.	The patent does not prove any person’s exposure.

Product Accuracy Rules

Question	Careful treatment
Did Uniroyal’s predecessor make asbestos textiles?	Yes, according to the bankruptcy disclosure and patent record.
Did every Uniroyal product contain asbestos?	No.
Are gaskets and adhesives confirmed here?	No primary record reviewed supports adding them.
Were all Navy vessels fitted with this cloth?	Not established.
Are modern Uniroyal tires implicated?	No; Michelin identifies its tire business as separate.

👨‍🔧 Workers and Job Sites Associated With Uniroyal Textiles

The documented settings are textile production operations and Navy vessels where fire-resistant cloth was installed. Other locations may matter only when reliable records identify a United States Rubber or Uniroyal asbestos textile.

Workers who may warrant Uniroyal product research
Worker	Potential historical contact	Useful evidence
Textile production worker	Weaving, finishing, cutting, inspecting or packaging asbestos fabric.	Plant, department, job title, dates and coworkers.
Maintenance mechanic	Repairing textile machinery or cleaning production areas.	Maintenance logs, equipment and cleanup methods.
Insulator	Installing, repairing or removing fire-resistant shipboard cloth.	Vessel, yard, contractor and work dates.
Pipefitter or machinist’s mate	Working on piping wrapped with asbestos textile material.	Rate, division, compartment and overhaul history.
Shipyard worker	Installation or removal during vessel construction and overhaul.	Yard records, contracts and ship assignments.
Storekeeper or material handler	Receiving, cutting or issuing rolls and packages of cloth.	Stock numbers, labels and supply records.
Household member	Handling dusty work clothing from qualifying work.	Shared residence, laundry practices and source exposure.

Potential Exposure Settings

Setting	Research focus
Asbestos textile plant	Department, production process, employment dates and controls.
Navy vessel	Ship, compartment, piping system and repair period.
Naval shipyard	Contractor, vessel availability and overhaul records.
Supply warehouse	Labels, stock numbers, purchase orders and material descriptions.
Home laundry area	Occupational source, clothing practices and shared-residence dates.

These settings guide investigation; they do not establish exposure by themselves. Read more about secondhand asbestos exposure.

Need help now? Call 800.291.0963
Live chat is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Submit Your Case

🌫️ How Uniroyal Asbestos Textile Exposure May Have Occurred

Potential exposure depended on disturbing asbestos fibers during textile production, installation, maintenance or removal. Cutting, fraying, abrading or handling deteriorated cloth presents a different question from merely being in a building or serving aboard a ship.

Potential asbestos textile exposure pathways
Task	Possible fiber release	Details to document
Spinning or weaving	Handling fiber and operating machinery could generate dust.	Machine, department, shift, controls and years.
Cutting cloth	Shearing or trimming could disturb woven fibers.	Tools, frequency, product markings and ventilation.
Installing shipboard fabric	Fitting, wrapping and fastening could abrade material.	Vessel, compartment, pipe system and method.
Removing old covering	Aged cloth could tear during overhaul.	Condition, wet methods, containment and protection.
Cleaning work areas	Dry sweeping could resuspend settled textile dust.	Area, method, frequency and nearby workers.
Laundering work clothes	Dust could be released when clothing was handled.	Who laundered items and where they were stored.

Exposure Questions

Question	Why it matters
Was the material linked to U.S. Rubber, Uniroyal or Asbeston?	Identifies the historical product source.
Which plant, vessel or shipyard was involved?	Directs the search for records.
What years did the work occur?	Connects activity to the documented product period.
Was the cloth cut, woven, wrapped or removed?	Explains the possible release mechanism.
How often and how closely did exposure occur?	Supports frequency, duration and proximity.
Can documents or witnesses confirm the account?	Strengthens identification beyond memory alone.

The National Cancer Institute explains that disturbed asbestos-containing material can release fibers. Do not cut or unwrap suspected historical cloth to identify it.

⚖️ Uniroyal Bankruptcy Claims and Proposed Settlement Trust

Uniroyal Holding and Great Hill filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. The cases are jointly administered under Case No. 26-18668 before Judge Michael B. Kaplan. The filing and plan do not create an operating trust.

Current Uniroyal bankruptcy status as of September 17, 2026
Item	Verified status
Debtors	Uniroyal Holding Inc. and Great Hill Corporation
Court and lead case	District of New Jersey; Case No. 26-18668
Petition date	July 31, 2026
General bar date shown by administrator	September 8, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EDT
Disclosure hearing	Scheduled for September 23, 2026
Plan status	Proposed; not treated as confirmed or effective
Operating settlement trust	None identified
Payment percentage or disease values	None effective

Proposed Trust Funding

Assets described in the proposed plan
Proposed contribution	What the filing says	Correct interpretation
Cash	$31.5 million on the plan’s effective date.	Proposed trust funding, not a claimant award.
Insurance rights and proceeds	Specified rights would be transferred under the plan.	Value and availability depend on plan terms and recoveries.
Settlement rights	Certain settlement-related rights are listed as trust assets.	Not an effective payment schedule.
Retained causes of action	Specified claims may be transferred.	Potential recoveries are not guaranteed.
Records and data	Information needed for claim administration is contemplated.	Final procedures still require approval and effectiveness.

No final Trust Distribution Procedures, scheduled disease values or payment percentage were identified. If a plan becomes effective, claim rules may differ from the current proposal.

Historical Claim Statistics Reported by the Debtors

Historical figures from the disclosure statement
Reported item	Figure	Correct interpretation
PI and wrongful-death claims filed	516,656	Historical filings, not approvals.
Cases resolved with payment	216,994	The debtors report just under $500 million paid across them.
Claims dismissed without payment	264,232	Does not decide another person’s claim.
Claims pending at filing	More than 35,000	Petition-date figure that may change.
Defense costs	$160 million	Legal expense, not claimant compensation.

📊 Documented Uniroyal Asbestos Cases and Records

Primary legal, corporate and technical records
Record	What it documents	Important limitation
2026 disclosure statement	Corporate history, Navy cloth, liability transfers, claim statistics and proposed funding.	It is a debtor-filed disclosure, not a liability judgment.
Proposed Chapter 11 plan	Proposed treatment of injury claims through a settlement trust.	The plan is not yet an operating claims program.
Case-administration docket	Petitions, notices, objections, hearings and deadlines.	Status can change after publication.
U.S. Patent 2,709,667	Identifies U.S. Rubber asbestos fabric under the Asbeston designation.	A patent does not prove individual exposure.
Michelin Uniroyal clarification	States that its tire business is separate from Uniroyal Holding.	Addresses the current tire brand, not legacy textile claims.

Evidence Limits

Finding	Correct interpretation
Historical asbestos textiles are documented	Yes.
Every Uniroyal product contained asbestos	No.
Every Navy vessel used Uniroyal cloth	Not established.
The proposed trust is operating	No.
$31.5 million is a claimant payment	No; it is proposed trust funding.
Historical company totals predict a new claim	No.

📋 Evidence That May Support a Uniroyal Asbestos Claim

A useful investigation connects the diagnosis, person, historical product and exposure activity. For Navy exposure, vessel and compartment details may be important. For factory exposure, identify the department and whether the work involved textiles rather than an unrelated rubber or tire process.

Evidence That May Help

Evidence categories for a Uniroyal claim review
Evidence	Examples	Purpose
Medical	Pathology, imaging, pulmonary testing, physician reports and death certificate.	Documents diagnosis and disease history.
Employment	Personnel, Social Security, union and payroll records.	Establishes employer, facility, occupation and dates.
Military	Service record, rate, vessel, division and assignments.	Places a person in a relevant shipboard setting.
Product	Labels, specifications, manuals, stock records and photographs.	Connects work to U.S. Rubber, Uniroyal or Asbeston material.
Witness	Coworker, supervisor, shipmate, storekeeper or family statement.	Corroborates product, task and frequency.
Exposure detail	Cutting, weaving, wrapping, removal, cleanup and ventilation.	Explains how fibers may have become airborne.

Preserve diagnostic records, service documents and witness contacts. Because the bankruptcy is pending, check current court procedures rather than waiting for the proposed trust. See mesothelioma lawsuit eligibility.

Numbers We Do Not Invent

Item	Treatment
Trust payment percentage	None effective.
Disease scheduled values	None effective.
Average Uniroyal settlement	Not inferred from historical totals.
$31.5 million proposal	Potential trust funding, not a claimant guarantee.
Automatic eligibility from Navy service	None.

Compensation is not guaranteed.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Did Uniroyal manufacture asbestos-containing products?

Yes. The 2026 disclosure identifies historical asbestos textiles, including fire-resistant fabric installed aboard Navy vessels.

What was Uniroyal Asbeston?

A 1955 patent identifies an asbestos fabric made by the United States Rubber Company under the Asbeston designation.

When did the asbestos textile business end?

The disclosure says the business was discontinued in early 1976. Older material could have remained installed afterward.

Who may have encountered Uniroyal asbestos textiles?

Potentially relevant groups include textile workers, maintenance staff, Navy personnel, shipyard trades, insulators, material handlers and household members.

Is Michelin’s Uniroyal tire business in bankruptcy?

No. Michelin states that its current tire brand is separate from Uniroyal Holding and unaffected by the filing.

Does Uniroyal have an operating asbestos trust?

No operating settlement trust was identified as of September 17, 2026. The filed plan proposes one.

How much would the proposed trust pay?

No effective payment percentage or disease values exist. The proposed $31.5 million cash contribution is funding, not a claimant payment.

What evidence may support a Uniroyal claim?

Medical records, employment or military history, vessel and shipyard details, product records, work practices and witness testimony may help.

🧾 Uniroyal Holding Inc. Asbestos Summary

Detail	Confirmed or carefully qualified information
Legacy predecessor	United States Rubber Company
Documented asbestos products	Lightweight and fire-resistant asbestos textiles
Military connection	Cloth developed at Navy request and installed on vessels
Textile business ended	Early 1976
Current debtors	Uniroyal Holding Inc. and Great Hill Corporation
Chapter 11 filing	July 31, 2026
Lead case	26-18668, District of New Jersey
Proposed cash funding	$31.5 million, subject to plan approval and effectiveness
Operating settlement trust	None identified as of September 17, 2026
Payment percentage or disease values	None effective
Guaranteed compensation	No

📚 Confirmed Primary, Government & Court Sources

Submit Your Case

A review can help organize evidence involving historical United States Rubber or Uniroyal asbestos textiles and check current bankruptcy procedures.

Call 800.291.0963
Live chat is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Submit Your Case

Information to have ready: diagnosis, employers or military service, factory or vessel, shipyard, work dates, product evidence, witnesses and bankruptcy notices.

A consultation does not guarantee representation, eligibility, liability or compensation. Each claim requires individual review under the current court procedures. Compensation is not guaranteed.

⚕️ Legal & Medical Information Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information and is not legal or medical advice. Do not deliberately disturb suspected asbestos-containing material. Consult qualified safety, healthcare and legal professionals for individual guidance.