Asbestos Trust Funds for Michigan Workers

Michigan workers were exposed to asbestos products manufactured by dozens of companies across the auto, shipbuilding, chemical, and construction industries. Many of those companies are now bankrupt, and in bankruptcy, they established trust funds specifically to compensate people with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. For those navigating treatment alongside the claims process, the 2026 treatment landscape covers current therapy options available to people with mesothelioma.

These trusts still hold more than $30 billion. They accept new claims and pay qualifying claimants on a rolling basis. For Michigan workers who were exposed at the state’s 126 documented exposure sites and 3,529 known job sites, the trusts represent a significant source of compensation that operates independently of lawsuits.

How Trust Funds Work

When asbestos manufacturers filed for bankruptcy, courts required them to establish trusts funded by company assets to compensate current and future claimants. Each trust has its own set of:

• Payment percentages, the share of the scheduled value that the trust currently pays (to preserve funds for future claimants)
• Disease categories, mesothelioma typically qualifies for the highest payment tier
• Exposure criteria, documentation of when and where the claimant was exposed to the company’s products
• Filing procedures, forms, medical records, and supporting documentation

Because most Michigan workers were exposed to products from multiple manufacturers, a single person with mesothelioma often qualifies for claims with five to 15 different trusts.

Trusts Most Relevant to Michigan Workers

This is not a complete list. More than 60 trusts are currently active, and an experienced mesothelioma attorney can identify every trust that applies to a specific worker’s exposure history.

The Auto Industry Connection

The trust fund landscape is particularly complex for Michigan auto workers. The Big Three, Ford, GM, and Chrysler, purchased asbestos-containing products from dozens of different manufacturers. A worker at a single plant might have been exposed to insulation from Johns-Manville, gaskets from Garlock, brake linings from Bendix, boiler insulation from Combustion Engineering, and fireproofing from multiple other companies.

Each of those manufacturers represents a potential trust fund claim. When a worker moved between plants or held multiple positions over a career, the number of applicable trusts increases further. Because the Big Three operated plants in both Michigan and Ohio, workers who transferred between states may have exposure histories that qualify them for claims in both jurisdictions.

The parts supply chain adds another layer. Companies like Federal-Mogul (through its T&N subsidiary), Raybestos-Manhattan, and Abex manufactured brake pads, clutch facings, and gaskets that contained asbestos. Workers at both the manufacturing plants and the auto assembly facilities where these products were installed may qualify for claims against the corresponding trusts.

Shipyard and Maritime Workers

Michigan’s Great Lakes shipbuilding industry created its own set of trust fund connections. Shipyard workers in Bay City, Detroit, Saginaw, and Muskegon were exposed to asbestos insulation, pipe lagging, and fireproofing from multiple manufacturers during vessel construction and repair. The same trusts apply to shipyard workers along the Wisconsin Great Lakes coast, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, and at Florida’s Jacksonville and Tampa facilities.

The trusts most relevant to Michigan shipyard workers include Johns-Manville (pipe insulation), Owens Corning (insulation products), Pittsburgh Corning (pipe covering), and Babcock & Wilcox (marine boiler insulation). Workers who served in the U.S. Navy and later worked in Michigan shipyards may have exposure from both military service and civilian employment, expanding the number of applicable trusts.

Filing Process

Trust fund claims follow a standard process, though each trust has its own requirements:

1. Diagnosis documentation, pathology reports confirming mesothelioma
2. Exposure evidence, work history placing the claimant at a site where the trust’s products were used
3. Claim submission, forms filed with each applicable trust
4. Review and payment, trusts review claims and issue payments, typically within three to 12 months

Trust Claims and Other Compensation

Trust fund claims are independent of other compensation sources. Filing a trust claim does not reduce, offset, or affect:

• Lawsuit settlements or verdicts, Michigan courts have delivered awards in recent mesothelioma cases
• VA disability benefits, veterans exposed to asbestos during military service can receive both trust fund compensation and VA benefits
• Workers’ compensation, state workers’ comp claims proceed separately

Most families pursue all applicable sources simultaneously, with an attorney coordinating the filings to maximize total recovery.

Why an Attorney Matters

Trust fund claims are administrative, not judicial, but they still require:

• Product identification, connecting the worker’s jobsites to specific products made by each trust’s predecessor company
• Documentation, compiling employment records, union records, co-worker statements, and medical records
• Filing strategy, knowing which trusts to file with, in what order, and how to present the strongest claim

Attorneys who handle mesothelioma cases maintain databases of asbestos products, manufacturers, and the jobsites where those products were used. This knowledge is particularly important for Michigan cases, where exposure in auto plants often involved products from dozens of different manufacturers operating through complex supply chains.