Asbestos Trust Funds for New Jersey Workers

New Jersey’s industrial history created broad trust fund eligibility for shipyard workers, refinery workers, plant workers at the Manville facility, and construction tradespeople across the state. A single shipyard or refinery commonly used asbestos products from many different manufacturers, and most of those manufacturers later established bankruptcy trusts that continue to accept claims.

More than $30 billion remains in 60 or more active trusts under 11 U.S.C. Section 524(g). For New Jersey families dealing with the state’s elevated mesothelioma rate, trust fund claims represent a significant and accessible source of compensation.

Trusts Most Relevant to New Jersey Workers

The Johns-Manville Trust

The Johns-Manville Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982, and the Johns-Manville Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust was established in 1988. The trust’s current payment percentage is reported at approximately 5.1% of scheduled claim value.

Johns-Manville’s ties to New Jersey are direct. The company’s Manville, New Jersey plant manufactured asbestos pipe insulation, brake linings, and asbestos cement starting in 1913. The town took its name from the company. Plant workers, their families, and residents near the facility all have potential exposure-based claims against the trust.

The W.R. Grace Trust

The W.R. Grace Asbestos Personal Injury Trust reports a payment percentage of approximately 30.1% of scheduled claim value as of 2024 to 2026. Grace’s asbestos-containing products, including Monokote fireproofing and vermiculite-based materials, were used in commercial buildings, refineries, and power plants across New Jersey.

Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering

Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering both established asbestos trusts after bankruptcy. Their boilers and power generation equipment were standard in refineries along the Arthur Kill and Delaware River and in power plants across the state. Shipyard and refinery workers who maintained or insulated this equipment often qualify for claims against both trusts.

Owens Corning and Fibreboard

The Owens Corning and Fibreboard subfund covers insulation and building products used in industrial and commercial construction. The Fibreboard subfund reports a payment percentage of approximately 3.7%.

Who Qualifies

Shipyard Workers

Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock in Kearny used asbestos from multiple manufacturers in boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, and oil coolers during and after World War II. Shipfitters, pipefitters, welders, insulators, and electricians at Kearny often qualify for claims against multiple trusts because a single vessel contained products from many different companies. The same pattern applies to workers at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

Refinery Workers

The Exxon Bayway refinery in Linden has operated since 1909 on 1,300 acres and used asbestos insulation on pipes, valves, and high-heat equipment. A 1981 NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation documented asbestos hazards at the site after five asbestos-related cases were identified. Refinery workers commonly qualify for claims tied to boiler and pipe insulation products, gaskets, and fireproofing.

Manville Plant Workers and Residents

Workers at the Johns-Manville plant in Manville had direct occupational exposure to asbestos products in manufacture. Family members faced take-home exposure from dust on work clothing. Residents living near the plant may also have environmental exposure claims tied to the facility.

Construction Tradespeople

Insulators, pipefitters, electricians, and other tradespeople who worked on pre-1980 commercial, industrial, and public buildings across New Jersey encountered asbestos from many different manufacturers. Pipe insulation, joint compound, floor tiles, roofing, and fireproofing each came from different companies with separate trusts. These high-risk occupations account for a disproportionate share of trust fund claims nationwide.

Filing Process

1. Diagnosis documentation. Pathology reports confirming mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease.
2. Exposure evidence. Work history placing the claimant at sites where specific products were used.
3. Claim submission. Forms filed with each applicable trust.
4. Review and payment. Trusts review and pay qualifying claims on a rolling basis.

Trust Claims and Other Compensation

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

• Civil verdicts and settlements in New Jersey’s Multicounty Litigation docket
• VA disability benefits for veterans exposed during military service
• Workers’ compensation claims through the state system

Most families pursue all applicable sources in parallel.

For comparison with neighboring states, see Pennsylvania asbestos trust funds for workers and New York asbestos trust funds for workers.