What Are Asbestos Trust Funds?

Dozens of asbestos manufacturers and distributors filed for bankruptcy to manage massive asbestos liability. As part of those bankruptcies, courts required them to establish permanent trusts to compensate future claimants. These trusts collectively hold more than $30 billion and continue to pay claims.

How Trust Claims Work

Trust claims are filed directly with each trust — separate from any court litigation. Each trust has:

  • Its own claim form and submission process
  • Disease-specific payment schedules (expedited review or individual review)
  • Exposure criteria for that specific company’s products

Patients diagnosed with mesothelioma may have claims against multiple trusts based on different products they were exposed to over their careers.

Ohio Filing Deadlines

Ohio’s current statute of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims is 5 years from the date of diagnosis. Pending 2026 legislation before the Ohio Senate could reduce this to 2 years, but has not yet been signed into law.

This affects:

  • Court filings against solvent defendants — 5-year deadline currently in effect
  • The urgency of identifying all exposure sources before memory fades and witnesses become unavailable

Trust claim deadlines are governed by each individual trust’s trust distribution procedures (TDP), which vary. Some trusts have their own limitation periods that differ from Ohio’s civil statute of limitations.

Common Trusts for Ohio Claimants

Ohio industrial workers may have claims against trusts established by: Armstrong World Industries, Combustion Engineering, Corhart Refractories, Eagle-Picher, Fibreboard, Harbison-Walker, Johns-Manville, Owens Corning, Pittsburgh Corning, and others depending on specific products encountered.

Next Steps

Identifying all potentially responsible parties — both solvent defendants and bankrupt trust predecessors — should happen immediately after diagnosis, regardless of current deadlines. Given pending legislation that could shorten the current 5-year window, early action is essential. Consult a licensed Ohio asbestos attorney promptly.