Asbestos Trust Funds for Ohio Workers

Ohio workers were exposed to asbestos products manufactured by dozens of companies across the steel, auto, power generation, 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 a new diagnosis, the 2026 treatment landscape covers current therapy options alongside the compensation process.

These trusts still hold more than $30 billion. They accept new claims and pay qualifying claimants on a rolling basis. For Ohio workers who were exposed at the state’s 127 documented exposure sites and more than 7,100 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 Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Owens Corning Connection

The Owens Corning trust is particularly significant for Ohio workers. Owens Corning was headquartered in Toledo and operated manufacturing facilities across the state. The company produced insulation, roofing, and building materials containing asbestos for decades. Workers in Ohio construction, manufacturing, and industrial facilities regularly handled Owens Corning products. The Owens Corning trust is also highly relevant to workers in neighboring Michigan and Wisconsin, where Owens Corning insulation was used in auto plants, paper mills, and commercial buildings throughout both states.

Owens Corning filed for bankruptcy in 2000, citing more than 460,000 asbestos claims. The company emerged from bankruptcy in 2006 after establishing a trust to compensate current and future claimants. The trust has paid billions in claims since its creation.

The Dana Corporation Connection

Dana Corporation, headquartered in Toledo, manufactured gaskets, seals, and friction products used in automotive and industrial applications. Many of these products contained asbestos. Workers at Ohio auto plants, steel mills, and power stations who handled Dana gaskets and seals were exposed to asbestos fibers during installation, removal, and maintenance.

Dana filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and established a trust to compensate people with asbestos-related diseases. The trust is particularly relevant for Ohio auto workers and industrial maintenance crews who used Dana products at facilities across the state. Because Dana supplied the entire domestic auto industry, the same trust applies to workers at Detroit’s Ford, GM, and Chrysler plants and the hundreds of parts suppliers across Michigan.

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, Cuyahoga County juries have delivered awards exceeding $27 million 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 Ohio cases, where exposure often occurred at large steel mills, auto plants, and power stations that used products from dozens of different manufacturers.