How Asbestos Trust Funds Work — A Guide for Connecticut Workers and Their Families
Over $30 billion available in asbestos bankruptcy trusts. Connecticut workers at Electric Boat, Pratt & Whitney, and Sikorsky may qualify for multiple trust fund claims. Free evaluation.
If you or a family member worked at one of Connecticut's major industrial facilities — Electric Boat in Groton, Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Sikorsky in Stratford, or GE in Bridgeport — and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos bankruptcy trust funds.
Most people have never heard of these trusts. But they represent one of the most important — and often overlooked — sources of compensation for mesothelioma victims. Here is what Connecticut workers and their families need to know.
What Is an Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust?
When companies that manufactured or sold asbestos-containing products faced overwhelming personal injury litigation, many filed for bankruptcy. Federal bankruptcy law required them to set aside assets in dedicated trusts to compensate future victims. These trusts continue to pay claims long after the companies themselves have closed or reorganized.
There are currently more than 60 active asbestos bankruptcy trusts in the United States, holding over $30 billion in combined assets. More than $20 billion has already been paid to mesothelioma and asbestos disease victims nationwide. New trusts continue to be established — as recently as February 2026, Vanderbilt Minerals established a new trust relevant to several Connecticut exposure sites.
Why Connecticut Workers Often Qualify for Multiple Claims
Workers at Connecticut's major industrial facilities were typically exposed to asbestos products from many different manufacturers — not just one. Each manufacturer whose products were present at the worksite may have established its own bankruptcy trust.
A single submarine built at Electric Boat contained asbestos products from 20 or more manufacturers — pipe insulation, gasket materials, valve packing, cable insulation, and fireproofing compounds from companies including Johns-Manville, Owens Corning, Babcock & Wilcox, Armstrong, Combustion Engineering, and many others. A worker exposed across a career at Electric Boat may qualify for claims with 10 or more trusts simultaneously.
At Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, at least 17 asbestos bankruptcy trusts list one or more Pratt & Whitney locations as known exposure sites. Workers and their family members may qualify for multiple trust claims based on this single workplace.
The aggregate compensation across multiple trust fund claims can be substantial — and trust fund claims can be filed alongside a civil lawsuit against solvent defendants like Electric Boat, which has no bankruptcy trust and pays successful claimants directly.
How the Trust Fund Claim Process Works
Trust fund claims are administrative — they do not require going to court, a trial, or a deposition. The process is document-based and is handled by your attorney on your behalf. The general steps are:
- Medical documentation — a pathology report confirming the mesothelioma diagnosis is the foundation of every claim
- Exposure documentation — evidence that the claimant was exposed to specific products manufactured by the company that established each trust, typically through employment records, union records, or co-worker testimony
- Claim submission — claims are submitted directly to each trust using its standard form and documentation requirements
- Review and payment — mesothelioma claims are typically processed on an expedited basis; many trusts pay within six to twelve months of a complete submission
See our full guide to the trust fund claim process for a detailed step-by-step explanation.
Family Members Can File Too
Spouses, children, and other family members who developed mesothelioma through secondary asbestos exposure — where a worker brought asbestos home on their clothing — are eligible to file trust fund claims in their own name. Trust claims for secondary exposure victims are based on the worker's documented exposure to trust products, not on the family member's presence at the worksite.
Veterans Have Three Pathways
Navy veterans who were exposed to asbestos during military service — including personnel who served at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton or on submarines built at Electric Boat — are eligible to pursue asbestos trust fund claims in addition to VA disability benefits. Trust fund claims and VA benefits are independent. See our veterans and VA benefits page for more information on all three compensation pathways available to veterans.
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 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.
Contact Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC
Jazlowiecki & Jazlowiecki LLC has been filing asbestos trust fund claims on behalf of Connecticut mesothelioma victims for over 22 years. We assess trust fund eligibility as part of every free initial case evaluation — at no cost and with no obligation. Visit our mesothelioma lawyers page or contact us today.
Call: (860) 589-8000 — available 24/7
No fee unless we win.
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