General Motors used asbestos in brakes, clutches and other car parts, putting mechanics and workers at risk of mesothelioma. Under GM's bankruptcy plan, asbestos injury claims linked to Old GM products go to the MLC Asbestos PI Trust, which pays a share of each approved claim's value.
Written by D. Carl Money | Medically Reviewed by Sean Fitzgerald, PG | Edited by Amy Edel | Last Update:
Founded:
1908
Years Operated:
1908-present
Headquarters:
Detroit, MI
Business:
Automobile and parts manufacturer, consumer lending, insurance, energy storage and solutions
Asbestos Trust:
Yes
Bankruptcy Status:
Filed in 2009. Assets sold to New GM in July 2009; Old GM liquidated (plan effective 2011).
The Motors Liquidation Company Asbestos PI Trust was established in 2011 as part of Old GM’s bankruptcy. The court approved a $625 million asbestos injury claim, paid in stock and the right to buy stock at a set price (known as warrants) from the new General Motors Company rather than cash.
According to the trust’s 2022 annual report, it had around $129.5 million in net assets at the end of that year. It also reported about $103.6 million in payments on 17,289 claims since 2012, including roughly $17.9 million during 2022. The purpose of the asbestos trust funds is to set aside money for those who developed mesothelioma or other eligible asbestos-related diseases.
The trust doesn’t pay the full value of each claim. Instead, it pays a set share, known as the payment percentage. A December 2025 trust notice revealed that the advisory committee and the representative for future claimants must approve the plan to reduce the payment percentage to 10.3%.
GM Asbestos Trust Updates
People who develop mesothelioma or other eligible asbestos-related diseases from GM products can file a claim with GM’s MLC Asbestos PI Trust. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help you navigate the claims process.
The GM asbestos trust assigns scheduled and maximum values to every asbestos-related disease. Claim procedures specify that professional auto mechanics who worked on GM brakes, clutches or marine engines receive higher values than other claimants. These are trust claim values, not settlement amounts. The trust applies its payment percentage to the approved value.
Most claims have an Expedited Review, which compensates the scheduled value. Individual Review evaluates a claim’s details and can set a different value up to the maximum the trust has listed. For example, based on the 2020 values, a professional auto mechanic with mesothelioma and a scheduled value of $175,000 would receive roughly $18,025 at a 10.3% payment percentage.
Claim procedures specify that you generally need an asbestos-related diagnosis and evidence of exposure to GM products before December 31, 1982. Qualifying diagnoses include mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or another asbestos-related cancer. Certain colleagues and family members with secondary exposure can also use the auto mechanic values, while hobbyist and home mechanics use the values for other claimants. A lawyer can review your work history and medical records to determine which values may apply to your case.
These amounts show GM asbestos trust claim values from the November 2020 claim procedures. The trust adjusts these figures every year for inflation.
| Disease | Auto mechanic: scheduled value | Auto mechanic: maximum value | Other claimants: scheduled value | Other claimants: maximum value |
| Asbestosis or pleural disease (level 1) | $1,600 | Not listed | $350 | Not listed |
| Asbestosis or pleural disease (level 2) | $4,000 | Not listed | $1,100 | Not listed |
| Lung cancer (level 1) | $50,000 | $140,000 | $6,000 | $45,000 |
| Lung cancer (level 2) | Individual Review only | $40,000 | Individual Review only | $15,000 |
| Mesothelioma | $175,000 | $525,000 | $20,000 | $200,000 |
| Other cancer | $10,000 | $40,000 | $1,600 | $15,000 |
| Severe asbestosis | $50,000 | $140,000 | $6,000 | $45,000 |
Motors Liquidation Company is the name the old General Motors took in 2009 after it sold most of its main business to a new company, General Motors Company. General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 1, 2009, and the sale closed on July 10, 2009.
The new company’s 2009 annual report says Motors Liquidation Company kept almost all outstanding asbestos-related claims. Old GM’s bankruptcy plan directs asbestos personal injury claims to the MLC Asbestos PI Trust instead of a lawsuit against General Motors.
You might also have claims against other companies whose asbestos products caused exposure, such as makers of brakes or clutches. A mesothelioma lawyer can review your work and exposure history to determine which companies and claims may apply to your case.
An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help people with a mesothelioma diagnosis who were exposed to asbestos in GM’s products or facilities. Your lawyer can answer all your questions about asbestos trust funds, determine if you qualify to file a claim and ensure your claim is filed correctly. They can manage the process so you can focus on your health.
The trust’s claim instructions name Claims Resolution Management Corporation as its processor. You can find claim forms and instructions on the trust’s website. A lawyer can gather your medical records and work history, then file your claim. Attorney Jim Kramer reveals, “To receive compensation from asbestos trust funds, it’s essential to have a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of asbestos litigation.”
Patient Advocates at The Mesothelioma Center are available daily to help connect you with resources like experienced legal experts and financial aid. They can also help you file VA claims, navigate insurance and connect you with resources like top mesothelioma specialists and support groups.
Gain access to trust funds, grants and other forms of compensation for you or your loved ones.
Get Help NowMany former GM workers filed mesothelioma lawsuits seeking compensation for medical bills, lost wages and related expenses. A lot of these cases were related to GM brake and clutch parts. In GM v. Grenier, expert witness Dr. Richard A. Lemen testified that working with asbestos brakes and clutches can cause mesothelioma.
Most asbestos litigation ends in settlements negotiated between mesothelioma lawyers for the plaintiffs and the defendants’ attorneys. Some GM lawsuits that went to trial ended in verdicts with significant damages awarded. Past verdicts don’t guarantee similar results and every case depends on its own facts.
Notable General Motors Asbestos Legal Cases
As GM faced financial losses, including mesothelioma claims resulting in negotiated settlements and verdicts awarding damages to plaintiffs, the company declared bankruptcy in 2009. During Chapter 11 proceedings, an asbestos trust fund was established to handle existing and future asbestos claims.
General Motors used asbestos in various automotive and consumer products like household appliances under brands such as Frigidaire and Delco-Heat. The toxic mineral can handle heat, is a good insulator and can control friction in moving parts. However, this widespread use of asbestos put workers and consumers at risk of mesothelioma cancer, which primarily develops when asbestos fibers are inhaled.
General Motors’ Top Asbestos-Containing Products
The company’s asbestos products included brakes, clutches and insulation panels. Workers were exposed to asbestos when handling adhesives, appliances and automotive parts at GM factories. Consumers could also be exposed when parts wore over time or when doing DIY repairs or maintenance work.
GM’s filings say it used some brake products that contained small amounts of asbestos over the years. The GM asbestos trust’s claim procedures cover exposure to GM products before December 31, 1982. But because mesothelioma can take decades to develop symptoms after initial asbestos exposure, those exposed in the past may develop the disease in the future. Legacy asbestos in vintage car parts and appliances can also still pose a risk of exposure.
People working directly with GM’s asbestos products, like those who worked on assembly lines, salespeople and technicians were especially at risk. People who performed maintenance or repairs in GM factories, like fixing buildings, pipes, electrical systems or heating and cooling equipment, were also often exposed to asbestos.
Some automotive disc and drum brakes were made with up to 65% asbestos, putting GM workers and auto mechanics at risk. A study published in Epidemiology: Open Access showed activities like blowing off dust or changing asbestos brakes could cause the amount of asbestos in the air to exceed safe limits for workers.
High-Risk Jobs for Asbestos Exposure at General Motors
GM operated plants across several states, including facilities in Sandusky, Ohio, Doraville, Georgia and Flint, Michigan, where the company was founded in 1908. The Tonawanda plant near Buffalo, New York, has built engines since 1938. However, working at a GM plant doesn’t necessarily mean you were exposed to asbestos. A lawyer can review your work history and help identify the products and companies connected to any exposure.
Workers with primary exposure could accidentally bring home fibers on their clothes, putting their family members at risk of secondary asbestos exposure. Consumers were also at risk when using home appliances or repairing their cars. Even today, restoring classic cars can pose a risk. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. The risk of an asbestos-related disease can depend on how much and how long a person was exposed. A study in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene found 4.9% of auto mechanics developed pleural plaques, a sign of asbestos exposure.
Old GM’s bankruptcy plan directs asbestos injury claims involving Old GM products to the MLC Asbestos PI Trust. The new General Motors Company’s 2009 annual report says Old GM kept almost all outstanding asbestos-related claims. You may still have claims against other companies whose asbestos products caused your exposure, such as brake or clutch makers. A mesothelioma lawyer can review your exposure history and explain which claims may apply.
The payment percentage is the share of an approved claim’s value that the trust pays. The trust lowered the payment percentage to 10.3% in December 2025 while it awaited approval for the change. The rate had stood at 12.2% since August 2022.
The trust’s November 2020 procedures list a $175,000 scheduled mesothelioma value for professional auto mechanics and $20,000 for other claimants. At a 10.3% payment percentage, the $175,000 base value equals about $18,025. Individual Review can set a claim value as high as $525,000 for auto mechanics and $200,000 for other claimants. The trust adjusts its claim values for inflation, so actual amounts can differ from these figures.
The November 2020 procedures list a $50,000 scheduled value for Lung Cancer 1 claims from professional auto mechanics and $6,000 for other claimants. At 10.3%, the $50,000 base value equals about $5,150. Individual Review can set the value as high as $140,000 for auto mechanics and $45,000 for other claimants. Lung Cancer 2 claims use Individual Review rather than a scheduled value.
The trust usually requires an asbestos-related diagnosis and evidence of exposure to GM products before December 31, 1982. Professional auto mechanics who worked on GM brakes, clutches or marine engines can use the auto mechanic claim values. Certain co-workers and family members with secondary exposure can also use those values. Hobbyists and home mechanics use the values for other claimants.
Claims Resolution Management Corporation processes claims for the MLC Asbestos PI Trust. You or your lawyer can submit the trust’s claim form along with the necessary medical and exposure records. Your lawyer can also review your work history for other asbestos trusts or claims that may apply.
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Asbestos.com. (2026, October 7). General Motors Trust Fund and Lawsuits. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://www.asbestos.com/companies/general-motors/
"General Motors Trust Fund and Lawsuits." Asbestos.com, 7 Oct 2026, https://www.asbestos.com/companies/general-motors/.
Asbestos.com. "General Motors Trust Fund and Lawsuits." Last modified October 7, 2026. https://www.asbestos.com/companies/general-motors/.
Sean Fitzgerald, PG, is a research geologist specializing in asbestos environmental studies.
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