Asbestos Trust Funds — How to File a Claim in Connecticut
Introduction
When companies that manufactured or sold asbestos-containing products faced overwhelming personal injury litigation, many filed for bankruptcy and established dedicated trust funds to compensate victims. These trusts — known as asbestos bankruptcy trusts — currently hold over $30 billion in combined assets and have paid out more than $20 billion to mesothelioma and asbestos disease victims across the United States.
For Connecticut workers who were exposed to asbestos at facilities like Electric Boat, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and GE, trust fund claims are often the fastest and most reliable path to compensation — because the trusts are funded and paying, the process does not require a trial, and workers typically qualify for multiple trust claims simultaneously.
Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC has been filing asbestos trust fund claims on behalf of Connecticut mesothelioma victims for over 22 years. Contact our mesothelioma attorneys today for a free, confidential evaluation of your trust fund eligibility.
What Is an Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust?
When a major asbestos manufacturer or distributor filed for bankruptcy, federal bankruptcy law required the company to set aside assets in a dedicated trust to compensate future asbestos claimants. The trust is managed by independent trustees and continues to pay claims long after the company itself has ceased operations or reorganized.
There are currently more than 60 active asbestos bankruptcy trusts in the United States. The largest include trusts established by:
- •Johns-Manville Corporation — one of the largest asbestos manufacturers in US history
- •Owens Corning / Fibreboard — major insulation manufacturers
- •Armstrong World Industries — floor and ceiling tile manufacturer
- •Babcock & Wilcox — boiler manufacturer whose products were used at Electric Boat and other Connecticut facilities
- •Combustion Engineering — whose products appear throughout Connecticut industrial sites
- •Pittsburgh Corning — glass insulation manufacturer
- •Eagle-Picher Industries — manufacturer of asbestos-containing gaskets and packing
- •Celotex Corporation — insulation and building materials manufacturer
- •Vanderbilt Minerals — talc manufacturer whose February 2026 bankruptcy created a new trust relevant to GE asbestos cases in Connecticut
How Much Compensation Is Available?
Each trust sets its own payment percentage and per-disease payment values based on the severity of the asbestos-related disease. The payment percentages — which reflect the trust's available funds relative to projected future claims — range from a small fraction to the full scheduled value. For mesothelioma — the most serious asbestos disease — most trusts pay significantly higher amounts than for other conditions such as asbestosis or pleural plaques.
Because workers at Connecticut facilities were typically exposed to asbestos products from many different manufacturers, they often qualify for claims with multiple trusts simultaneously. A single Electric Boat worker, for example, may qualify for claims with 10 or more trusts based on the range of asbestos-containing products used in submarine construction. The aggregate compensation across multiple trust claims can be substantial.
Over $30 billion is currently held across 60+ active asbestos trusts. More than $20 billion has already been paid to mesothelioma and asbestos disease victims nationwide. Connecticut submarine builders at Electric Boat typically qualify for multiple trust fund claims — in addition to any civil lawsuit against Electric Boat itself, which remains solvent and pays from its own funds.
Trust Fund Claims for Connecticut Workers
Electric Boat — Groton
A single submarine built at Electric Boat contained asbestos products from 20 or more manufacturers — most of which have established bankruptcy trusts. Workers in pipe fitting, insulation, boilermaking, electrical, and maintenance trades are typically eligible for multiple trust claims. Electric Boat itself does not have a bankruptcy trust — it pays successful civil litigation claimants directly from its own funds, meaning Electric Boat workers can pursue both trust claims and a civil lawsuit simultaneously. See our Electric Boat asbestos exposure page.
Pratt & Whitney — East Hartford
At least 17 asbestos bankruptcy trusts list one or more Pratt & Whitney locations as known exposure sites — including trusts established by insulation manufacturers, gasket and packing manufacturers, and refractory companies whose products were used throughout the East Hartford plant. Workers and their family members may be eligible to file with multiple trusts simultaneously. See our Pratt & Whitney asbestos exposure page.
Sikorsky Aircraft — Stratford
Workers who handled asbestos-containing brake linings, gaskets, heat shields, and FM-37 adhesive at Sikorsky may be eligible for trust fund claims against the manufacturers of those specific products. The acquisition of Sikorsky by Lockheed Martin does not extinguish trust fund claims against the original product manufacturers. See our Sikorsky asbestos exposure page.
General Electric — Bridgeport and Connecticut Facilities
GE used asbestos-containing products from many manufacturers throughout its Connecticut facilities. The February 2026 bankruptcy of Vanderbilt Minerals — whose asbestos-contaminated talc was used in GE manufacturing and was central to a $22.5 million Connecticut jury verdict in 2024 — has created a new trust fund that GE-related claimants may be eligible to access. See our GE asbestos exposure page.
How to File an Asbestos Trust Fund Claim
The trust fund claim process follows a structured format set by each trust's claims procedures. While the specific requirements vary by trust, the general process involves:
Step 1 — Medical Documentation
Every trust fund claim requires medical documentation confirming the asbestos-related disease — for mesothelioma claims, this means a pathology report confirming the mesothelioma diagnosis, the type (pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial), and the date of diagnosis. The diagnosis report from your oncologist or the treating pathologist is the foundation of every claim.
Step 2 — Exposure Documentation
Each trust requires evidence that the claimant was exposed to the specific products manufactured or sold by the company that established that trust. This is typically established through employment records, union records, co-worker testimony, or published exposure databases maintained by mesothelioma attorneys who have litigated against these companies for decades.
Step 3 — Claim Submission
Claims are submitted directly to each trust using the trust's standard claim form. Each trust has its own submission portal, claim form, and documentation requirements. An experienced mesothelioma attorney manages the submission process for all applicable trusts simultaneously, ensuring that each claim meets the specific requirements of that trust.
Step 4 — Review and Payment
Each trust reviews the submitted claim against its criteria and determines whether to pay at the scheduled value or to subject the claim to individual review. Mesothelioma claims — because of the severity of the disease and the strong connection to asbestos exposure — are typically processed on an expedited basis. Payment timelines vary by trust but many pay within several months of a complete submission.
Trust Fund Claims vs. Civil Litigation — Can I Do Both?
Yes — in most cases, trust fund claims and civil litigation can proceed simultaneously and are treated as separate recoveries. Trust fund payments do not automatically reduce the amount recoverable in a civil lawsuit, though the treatment of trust proceeds varies by jurisdiction and the specific circumstances of each case. An experienced attorney will structure your claims to maximize total recovery across both pathways.
For Electric Boat workers specifically — because Electric Boat has no bankruptcy trust and remains a viable civil defendant — both avenues are fully available: trust claims against the product manufacturers whose asbestos was used in submarine construction, and a civil lawsuit directly against Electric Boat.
Secondary Exposure Victims and Trust Fund Claims
Family members who developed mesothelioma through secondary asbestos exposure — by living with a worker who brought asbestos home on their clothing — are eligible to file trust fund claims in their own name, based on the worker's documented exposure to trust products. See our secondary asbestos exposure page for more information.
Veterans and Trust Fund Claims
Navy veterans who were exposed to asbestos during military service are eligible to pursue asbestos trust fund claims in addition to VA disability benefits. Trust fund claims and VA benefits are independent — receiving one does not reduce eligibility for the other. See our veterans and VA benefits page.
Connecticut Statute of Limitations
Connecticut's statute of limitations for mesothelioma is three years from the date of diagnosis (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584). Trust fund claims have their own deadlines set by each trust — some trusts require claims to be filed within a specific period of the diagnosis. Acting promptly after diagnosis ensures that no deadlines are missed across the full range of applicable trusts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which trusts I qualify for?+−
Trust eligibility is determined by the specific asbestos-containing products you were exposed to and the companies that manufactured or sold those products. An experienced mesothelioma attorney maintains detailed databases of which products were used at which facilities — including Connecticut sites like Electric Boat, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and GE — and which trusts cover those products. The eligibility assessment is done as part of the free initial case evaluation.
Do I have to go to court to receive trust fund compensation?+−
No. Trust fund claims are administrative claims submitted directly to the trust — they do not involve court proceedings, trials, or depositions. The process is document-based and is handled by your attorney on your behalf. This makes trust fund claims particularly appropriate for older or seriously ill mesothelioma patients who cannot undertake the demands of litigation.
How long does a trust fund claim take?+−
Processing times vary by trust and claim type. Mesothelioma claims are typically processed on an expedited basis given the severity of the disease. Many trusts pay mesothelioma claims within six to twelve months of a complete submission, though some trusts take longer. An experienced attorney will prioritize the claims most likely to pay quickly while filing with all applicable trusts simultaneously.
Will trust fund payments affect my eligibility for other compensation?+−
Trust fund payments are independent of civil litigation recoveries in most cases. They may affect VA disability benefits calculations in some circumstances — your attorney will advise on the specific interaction in your case. The goal is always to maximize total recovery across all available pathways.
Why Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC?
Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC has been handling Connecticut mesothelioma and asbestos litigation for over 22 years. Founding partner Edward Jazlowiecki holds a degree in Chemical Engineering — giving the firm a scientific understanding of asbestos products, exposure pathways, and the specific materials used at Connecticut's major industrial facilities. We handle mesothelioma cases on a contingency basis — no fee unless we win.
View our full case results:
- •$72 million recovered for victims of the Lac-Mégantic train disaster (global multi-party settlement)
- •$4.3 million — Propecia global settlement
The $72M recovery involved multiple parties and law firms.
Contact Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC — Free Case Evaluation
If you or a family member have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease, contact Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Visit our mesothelioma lawyers page to learn more, or submit a free case evaluation online.
Call: (860) 589-8000 — available 24/7
Email: Info@Jazlowiecki.com
No fee unless we win. Connecticut statute of limitations: 3 years from date of diagnosis.