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Mesothelioma and Asbestos Trust Funds

Bankrupt asbestos companies established asbestos trust funds to compensate those who got sick from their products. Asbestos trust funds contain over $30 billion as of October 2023, and eligible mesothelioma victims can access this money without going to court or filing a lawsuit. See if you may be owed asbestos trust fund compensation.

Legally reviewed by: Melissa Crowe Schopfer

Last updated:

What Are Asbestos Trust Funds?

Asbestos trust funds are large amounts of money set aside by asbestos companies for eligible mesothelioma patients and their loved ones.

How much money is left in the asbestos trust fund?

More than $30 billion is available in asbestos trust funds today.

The first asbestos trusts were set up in the 1980s by asbestos companies that declared bankruptcy after facing mesothelioma lawsuits. These companies filed for bankruptcy to avoid lawsuits meant to hold them accountable.

However, bankruptcy courts forced these companies to set up mesothelioma trust funds to pay current and future victims.

You could get hundreds of thousands of dollars or more by filing claims with multiple trusts — and without ever setting foot in court. You may get your first asbestos claims payouts within 90 days.

Find out if you can access asbestos trust fund compensation right now.

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Access Asbestos
Trust Funds
  • More than $30 billion available
  • $300K-$400K average compensation
  • Get money in 90 days or less

Check If You Qualify

Who Can Access Asbestos Trust Funds?

If you or a loved one has mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may be eligible for asbestos trust fund compensation.

You can file claims with an asbestos trust fund if:

  • You were exposed to asbestos-based products.
  • You developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease.
  • You are the family member of someone who is sick or has died from mesothelioma.
  • The companies that made the products you were exposed to set up asbestos trusts.

Asbestos Trust Fund Payouts

Asbestos trust funds can pay out significant compensation to help you afford medical expenses and other costs that follow a mesothelioma diagnosis.

What is the average payout for asbestos trust funds in 2023?

Mesothelioma victims receive a total average payout of $300,000 to $400,000 from asbestos trust funds as of 2023.

You may also secure $1 million or more by filing asbestos lawsuits in addition to claims with mesothelioma trust funds.

Each asbestos trust fund pays a different amount of money, so your total compensation will depend on the trusts that you qualify for.

Steps to File Trust Fund Claims

  1. Identify Asbestos Trusts
  2. Submit Your Claims
  3. Accept Compensation

Start the process now to access asbestos trust funds.

Asbestos Trust Fund List

From the 1980s to the present day, more than 100 companies have established asbestos bankruptcy trusts by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Over 60 of these trusts are still active as of October 2023.

If you or a loved one was diagnosed with mesothelioma and exposed to products made by any of the companies listed below, you may be able to file a claim.

Here is a list of asbestos trust funds:

  • A-Best Products
  • ABB Lummus Global
  • AC&S
  • A.P. Green
  • API, Inc.
  • Armstrong World Industries
  • ARTRA Group, Inc.
  • ASARCO, LLC
  • Babcock & Wilcox Co.
  • Bondex International/Special Products Holding Corp.
  • Brauer Supply Co.
  • Burns & Roe Construction Group
  • Burns & Roe Enterprises, Inc.
  • C.E. Thurston
  • Celotex Corp.
  • The Christy Refractories Co. LLC
  • Combustion Engineering
  • Congoleum Corp.
  • DuroDyne National Corp.
  • Eagle Picher Industries
  • Fairbanks International Inc.
  • Federal Mogul (T&N, Flexitallic, Ferodo)
  • Flintkote Co./Flintkote Mines
  • Fuller-Austin
  • G-I Holdings, Inc.
  • Garlock Sealing Technologies, LLC (Anchor Packing Company and Garrison)
  • General Motors Corp.
  • George V. Hamilton, Inc.
  • G-I Holdings, Inc.
  • Global Industrial Technologies (Harbison-Walker)
  • Hercules Chemical Co.
  • H.K. Porter Co.
  • J.T. Thorpe Co.
  • J.T. Thorpe Inc.
  • Kaiser Aluminum
  • Keene Corp.
  • Kentile Floors
  • Leslie Controls, Inc.
  • Mallinckrodt
  • Maremont Corporation
  • Mid-Valley Inc. (Halliburton)
  • National Gypsum
  • North American Refractories Company (NARCO)
  • Oakfabco Inc.
  • Owens Corning Corp.
  • Owens Corning Fibreboard
  • Pittsburgh Corning
  • Plant Insulation Co.
  • Plibrico Co.
  • Porter-Hayden Co.
  • Quigley Co.
  • Rapid American Corp.
  • Raymark Corp./Raytech Corp.
  • SEPCO
  • Shook and Fletcher
  • State Insulations Corp.
  • Swan Transportation Co.
  • T.H. Agriculture and Nutrition, LLC
  • Thorpe Insulation Co.
  • United Gilsonite Laboratories
  • United States Mineral Products
  • USG Corp.
  • Utex Industries
  • W.R. Grace
  • Western MacArthur/Western Asbestos
  • Yarway Corporation

Our team can help you access financial assistance from trusts if you’re eligible — even if you don’t see a company in the list above. Get started right now.

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Access Asbestos
Trust Funds
  • More than $30 billion available
  • $300K-$400K average compensation
  • Get money in 90 days or less

Check If You Qualify

How Do Asbestos Trusts Work?

There is a specific process for filing claims with asbestos trust funds and getting financial compensation. Learn about each step in the process below.

The first step to filing asbestos trust fund claims is choosing the right mesothelioma lawyer to help you.

Mesothelioma lawyers can:

  1. See which asbestos trust funds you qualify for
  2. File claims on your behalf
  3. Quickly secure mesothelioma trust payouts for you
  4. See if you can get additional payouts from other sources

If you’re eligible, our partner mesothelioma lawyers will walk you through the asbestos claims process and work to get the most amount of compensation possible in your case. Get a free legal consultation to connect with top mesothelioma attorneys.

2. Collect Asbestos Exposure Evidence

Once you choose to work with a mesothelioma lawyer, they will ask for information about your asbestos exposure and diagnosis. This can help them determine which asbestos bankruptcy trust funds you qualify for.

You may need to provide:

  • Information about when, where, and how you were exposed to asbestos
  • Medical records related to your mesothelioma diagnosis
  • Military and/or civilian work history records

Your attorney can also find out how you were exposed to asbestos if you’re not sure.

The best lawyers have warehouses’ worth of records related to the asbestos industry and worksites that used asbestos-based products, which they can use to determine your exposure

3. File Claims With Mesothelioma Trusts

Once your lawyer has all the needed information, they can file claims with asbestos trust funds on your behalf with any trusts you’re eligible for.

You won’t have to file claims with asbestos trust funds yourself, meaning there’s no extra stress or hassle for your family.

Your lawyers may be able to file claims with multiple trusts at once, depending on which products you were exposed to.

4. Have Your Claims Reviewed

Once your mesothelioma fund claims have been submitted, your lawyer can see which review option will be best in your case.

  1. Expedited review: This option allows the trust to review your claim using predetermined guidelines. If your asbestos trust fund claim meets all of these guidelines, you’ll get paid a set amount of money as outlined by the trust.
  2. Individual review: With this option, the trust will review your claim in more detail to determine how much compensation you should receive. This takes longer than the expedited review and could award you with more or less money.

5. Receive Payouts from Asbestos Trusts

Once your asbestos trust fund claim has been reviewed, it will be liquidated (paid). How much money you’ll get from liquidation depends on which asbestos disease you have, how much the trust pays, and other factors.

Your mesothelioma law firm will keep you notified as to how much your mesothelioma trust fund claim will pay and when you can expect to receive compensation.

Call (866) 608-8933 now to learn how much you could get from asbestos trusts and start the claims process.

Why You Need a Lawyer to File Asbestos Trust Fund Claims

A mesothelioma lawyer handles all of the work related to filing trust fund claims and getting compensation, making the process simple for you and your family.

Without a lawyer’s help, it’ll be extremely difficult to get money from mesothelioma trust funds.

Lawyers can help you navigate complex issues like:

  • Compensation disclosure laws: These laws can force you to disclose information about money you’ve received from prior trust fund claims, which could affect how much money you get moving forward.
  • Payment percentages: These allow trusts to pay only part of a claim’s full value to ensure they have enough money to pay future claimants. Payment percentages can range from 1-100% of the claim’s full value. A lawyer can see if any trusts you’re filing with have payment percentages.
  • Setoffs: These can reduce the compensation you receive from a mesothelioma lawsuit that goes to trial. For example, if you win $500,000 in a verdict but also previously received $100,000 from a trust fund, you may end up with $400,000.
  • Trust fund deadlines: Each trust fund sets its own deadline to file a trust fund claim, usually 2-3 years after a mesothelioma diagnosis or death. Lawyers can make sure your trust fund claims are filed in time.

A good attorney will help you feel at ease by clearly explaining how they’ll secure asbestos trust fund compensation for you and answer any questions you have. Get connected with top lawyers now during a free legal consultation.

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  • Over $30 billion available
  • No cost to file a claim
  • Avoid going to court

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See If You Can Access Asbestos Trust Compensation

Negligent companies hid the risks of asbestos for decades, and thousands are diagnosed each year with asbestos-related diseases as a result.

You and your family can hold these companies accountable by filing asbestos trust fund claims.

More than $30 billion is available in asbestos trust fund compensation today for victims of asbestos exposure. Trust fund claims allow you to access some of this money.

Our legal partners can file trust fund claims on your behalf if you qualify and explain your other options for financial assistance.

See if you can file asbestos trust fund claims or call (866) 608-8933 now to speak to someone who can help.

Mesothelioma Trust Fund FAQs

What is the average payout for asbestos trust funds?

The average asbestos trust payout for mesothelioma is $300,000 to $400,000. This is typically how much a mesothelioma patient gets in total from all the trusts they qualify for.

How much money you could get varies depending on which trusts you can access, which asbestos-related disease you have, and other factors.

For example, trusts pay different amounts if you have lung cancer or asbestosis.

You should consult with an asbestos attorney to find out how much money could be available in your case.

How much of the mesothelioma fund is left?

More than $30 billion is left in mesothelioma funds as of October 2023. You and your family members can access some of this money if you’re eligible to file claims with asbestos trust funds.

How many mesothelioma trusts are there?

As of October 2023, there are over 60 active asbestos trust funds. You may qualify for compensation from multiple trusts, depending on which asbestos-containing products you were exposed to.

Are asbestos trusts taxable?

Payouts from asbestos trust funds are generally not taxable, but a mesothelioma attorney can help determine if taxes may apply in your case.

What percentage does Bondex asbestos trust pay?

The payout rate for an approved Bondex trust fund claim is 22%. This means that this particular trust pays 22% of a claim’s full value.

However, trust fund payment percentages can change over time. You should speak to a lawyer to learn how asbestos trust fund payment percentages could impact your case.

What percentage does Quigley asbestos trust pay?

The existing payment percentage for this trust is 3.6% or 14.5% depending on when the claim is filed and other factors.

A mesothelioma attorney can help determine which payment percentage will apply in your case if you qualify for this trust.

What percentage does Owens Corning asbestos trust pay?

At this time, the Owens Corning trust pays 7.8%, while the Owens Corning Fibreboard trust pays 6.7%.

Find out if you’re eligible to file claims with either trust — and see which payment percentage may apply to you — by working with our partner lawyers. Call (866) 608-8933 to get started.

Melissa Crowe Schopfer, Simmons Hanly Conroy AttorneyReviewed by:Melissa Crowe Schopfer

Partner, Simmons Hanly Conroy

  • Fact-Checked
  • Legal Editor

Melissa Crowe Schopfer is a partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy. Over the past 10 years, Melissa has worked on over 500 cases and recovered more than $100 million in settlements and trial verdicts on behalf of her clients. She has represented families impacted by mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases in almost every state.

  • Asbestos Trial Team Leader
  • Practicing Attorney for 15+ Years
  • Has Recovered Over $100 Million
Jenna TozziWritten by:

Director of Patient Advocacy

Jenna Tozzi, RN, is the Director of Patient Advocacy at Mesothelioma Hope. With more than 15 years of experience as an adult and pediatric oncology nurse navigator, Jenna provides exceptional guidance and support to mesothelioma patients and their loved ones. Jenna has been featured in Oncology Nursing News and is a member of the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators & the American Nurses Association.

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References
  1. Dixon, L., & McGovern, G. (2011, August 18). Links between asbestos bankruptcy trusts, tort cases examined. RAND Corporation. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1104.html
  2. Dixon, L., McGovern, G., & Coombe, A. (2010). Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts An Overview of Trust Structure and Activity with Detailed Reports on the Largest Trusts. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2010/RAND_TR872.pdf
  3. Frankel, A. (2018, December 19). In latest attack on asbestos trusts, DOJ tries (again) to block lawyer for future claimants. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-otc-asbestos/in-latest-attack-on-asbestos-trusts-doj-tries-to-block-lawyer-for-future-claimants-idUSKBN1OH2FN
  4. U.S. Government Accountability Office. (n.d.). Asbestos Injury Compensation: the Role and Administration of Asbestos Trusts. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-11-819
  5. The Washington Post. (1990, November 20). A history of asbestos and the Manville Trust Fund. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 13, 2023, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1990/11/20/a-history-of-asbestos-and-the-manville-trust-fund/fb60ed34-2a94-4570-9648-9e2efb8167f0/
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