Many companies that made asbestos products used by the military later filed for bankruptcy. As part of those bankruptcies, courts required them to set up trust funds to compensate people harmed by their products. These asbestos trust funds hold billions of dollars and are separate from the VA. A veteran can often pursue a trust claim and VA benefits at the same time. There is no cost to speak with us about your service history.
How asbestos trust funds work
When an asbestos company files for bankruptcy, it sets up a trust to pay current and future claims. Each trust publishes a set of scheduled values for different diseases and pays a percentage of that value. A veteran files a claim by confirming a diagnosis, documenting exposure to the company’s products, and meeting the trust’s requirements. Because many manufacturers supplied the military, a single veteran may have claims against more than one trust.
Major asbestos trusts relevant to veterans
| Trust | Manufacturer | Key products | Most affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox Asbestos Trust | Babcock & Wilcox | marine and industrial boilers | Navy (highest) |
| Combustion Engineering 524(g) Asbestos Trust | Combustion Engineering | boiler casings and refractory | Navy (high) |
| Owens Corning Fibreboard Asbestos Trust | Owens-Corning / Fibreboard | Kaylo calcium-silicate pipe and block insulation (13-15% amosite asbestos) | Navy |
| Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Trust | Pittsburgh Corning | Unibestos high-temperature amosite pipe insulation (1962-1972) | Navy (highest |
| Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust | Johns-Manville | Asbestocel corrugated air-cell pipe insulation | Navy |
| Garlock Sealing Technologies Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 17) | Garlock | asbestos-containing gaskets (compressed sheet and spiral-wound) | Navy (highest |
| North American Refractories (NARCO) Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 17) | NARCO | refractory bricks and castables used to line boilers | Navy boiler rooms |
| Eagle-Picher Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 19) | Eagle-Picher | pipe insulation | Navy |
| Halliburton (DII Industries) Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 18) | DII Industries / Halliburton | industrial gasket and packing products | Navy |
| UNR (UNARCO) Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 19) | UNR / UNARCO | asbestos-cement products | Navy |
| Plibrico Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 19) | Plibrico | Plibrico monolithic refractory used to line boilers and furnaces | Navy boiler rooms |
| United States Gypsum (USG) Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 17) | United States Gypsum | asbestos-containing joint compound (through 1978) | Army |
| WR Grace (ZAI) Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 18) | WR Grace | Zonolite Attic Insulation (vermiculite contaminated with asbestos from the Libby, Montana mine) | Army |
| Honeywell Bendix Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 18) | Bendix / Honeywell | asbestos brake linings (pads, shoes, and drum-brake assemblies) | Army (highest |
| Federal-Mogul Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 18) | Federal-Mogul | Vellumoid gaskets | Army and Air Force vehicle and aircraft mechanics |
| ASARCO Asbestos Trust (page publishing June 19) | ASARCO | asbestos exposure from mining and smelting operations | Army personnel at mining and smelting sites |
This directory is being expanded. Additional trust pages are added on the dates noted above.
Trust claims and VA benefits
Asbestos trust claims and VA benefits are separate. Filing a trust claim does not reduce a VA disability rating, and receiving VA benefits does not prevent a trust claim. Many veterans pursue both. See asbestos trust funds for veterans and filing a VA claim and a trust claim together.
These are reference values from publicly disclosed trust documents and historical filings. They are not a promise of payment. Scheduled values and the percentage a trust pays change over time, and an actual recovery depends on an individual trust evaluation. We confirm current figures against the trust’s published documents during a case review.
Get help with your claim
We help veterans and their families understand their compensation options. There is no cost to speak with us about your case.
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Frequently asked questions
What are asbestos trust funds?
They are funds set up by bankrupt asbestos manufacturers to compensate people harmed by their products. They are separate from the VA and from civil lawsuits.
Can veterans file asbestos trust claims?
Yes. Many manufacturers supplied the military, so veterans exposed to their products may qualify. A veteran can often file against more than one trust.
Do trust claims affect VA benefits?
No. Trust claims are paid by the manufacturers’ trusts, not the government, so they are generally separate from VA disability compensation.
How long do asbestos diseases take to appear?
Mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases commonly develop 10 to 50 years after exposure, so a diagnosis decades after service is common.
Sources
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/
- https://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/claims-special-asbestos.asp
Filing a claim: trust claims are often filed with a mesothelioma attorney. See this guide to how asbestos trust-fund legal claims work.