Kaiser Aluminum created the Kaiser Asbestos Trust Fund in 2006 with $1.2 billion to pay asbestos claims. The fund helps people exposed to Kaiser’s asbestos products who developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.
Kaiser Aluminum filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002 as the company faced mounting mesothelioma lawsuits. When the company came out of bankruptcy in 2006, it set up the Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation Asbestos Personal Injury Trust with $1.2 billion. The Kaiser Asbestos Trust is separate from Kaiser Gypsum, a different company with its own asbestos trust. It also has no connection to the health care provider Kaiser Permanente.
The Kaiser Asbestos Trust pays each approved claim a percentage of its scheduled value, which is the amount the trust assigns to each disease level. Since Feb. 5, 2025, the trust has paid claims at 10.6%. The trust started with a 39.5% payment percentage, which has lowered several times, including from 18.1% to 15.5% in 2023.
For many years, the trust paid claims at a relatively high percentage compared to other asbestos trust funds. At the current 10.6% payment percentage, a $70,000 scheduled value for mesothelioma pays about $7,420. These figures are trust payment amounts, not lawsuit settlements.
Kaiser Aluminum Trust Updates
Disease Level
Scheduled Value
Average Value
Maximum Value
Est. Payment at 10.6% of Scheduled Value
Level I: Other asbestos disease
$200
None
None
$200 flat payment
Level II: Asbestosis or pleural disease
$700
None
None
$74
Level III: Advanced asbestosis or pleural disease
$4,850
None
None
$514
Level IV: Severe asbestosis
$20,750
$22,000
$55,000
$2,200
Level V: Other cancer
$13,800
$17,300
$40,000
$1,463
Level VI: Lung cancer 2
Individual review only
$7,000
$20,000
Varies
Level VII: Lung cancer 1
$27,500
$33,000
$85,000
$2,915
Level VIII: Mesothelioma
$70,000
$104,000
$380,000
$7,420
Legal Help for People Exposed to Kaiser Aluminum Asbestos Products
Your lawyer will also assess if there are other responsible companies involved in your exposure. These may also have asbestos trust funds. If they haven’t filed for bankruptcy and established a trust, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against that company.
Finding a lawyer who can best meet your needs can seem overwhelming, particularly while also coping with a mesothelioma diagnosis. Patient Advocates can match you with the right lawyer for your personal needs and the details of your case. Our team of advocates can also schedule appointments for you with mesothelioma specialists, connect you with support groups and provide free resources.
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People with asbestos-related diseases linked to Kaiser Aluminum products file claims with the Kaiser Asbestos Trust instead of suing the company. Verus Claims Services runs the trust’s filing system. A mesothelioma lawyer can file your claim and determine whether a trust claim or lawsuit may apply to other companies involved in your asbestos exposure.
Who Qualifies for a Kaiser Trust Claim?
To qualify, you need a diagnosis the trust covers and proof that you had exposure to Kaiser asbestos products or operations before Dec. 31, 1982. Covered diagnoses include mesothelioma, lung cancer, other cancers, severe asbestosis and less severe asbestos-related conditions. Each disease level has its own medical and exposure criteria.
How to Prove Kaiser Exposure
The trust’s Amended Notice of Kaiser Exposure Evidence Policy, effective July 1, 2025, explains what it accepts as proof. Work at a site on the trust’s Approved Jobsite List can help establish Kaiser asbestos exposure with records or sworn statements. Claims involving sites outside that list need additional evidence about the presence of Kaiser asbestos products and the person’s work at the site.
The trust posts its Approved Jobsite List and filing instructions on its resources page. Employment records, sworn statements and other documents can help prove asbestos exposure for a claim.
Expedited Review vs. Individual Review
The trust reviews claims through expedited review or individual review. Expedited review uses the scheduled value for a disease level when the claim meets that level’s medical and exposure criteria. Individual review considers the specific facts of a single claim and can result in a value above or below the scheduled value, up to that disease level’s maximum.
Lung Cancer 2 claims use individual review only. After the trust approves a value, it generally applies the current payment percentage to calculate the payment.
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Asbestos Litigation Involving Kaiser Aluminum
Kaiser had faced many than 120,000 asbestos-related claims prior to filing for bankruptcy. Former Kaiser employees filed some of these suits. U.S. military veterans exposed to Kaiser’s asbestos products also filed lawsuits.
Notable Verdicts and Settlements
$2.5 million: John Henderson developed mesothelioma after years of asbestos exposure while working at an industrial plant. A Washington state court awarded him about $2.5 million in 2001 in a case involving Kaiser Aluminum and AC&S, a company that installed asbestos insulation products.
$72,370: Julius Egan, a former Kaiser welder, developed mesothelioma after working around asbestos products in the company’s carpenter shop. A Louisiana court awarded him this sum in 1996.
$39,675: Henry Barabin developed mesothelioma after years of work at a refinery and paper mill. He reported exposure to amphibole asbestos in insulation and chrysotile asbestos in dryer felts. Kaiser joined at least 17 companies in settling his claim.
Courts awarded mesothelioma compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other costs to people who developed cancer after exposure to Kaiser asbestos products. Today, those with new claims file with the Kaiser asbestos trust.
Kaiser Aluminum’s History With Asbestos
Kaiser Aluminum used asbestos from the 1950s to 1978 to protect equipment from extreme heat. The asbestos company added the toxic mineral to the fireboard used on U.S. Navy ships and construction materials.
The company launched in 1946 and grew quickly through vertical integration. It mined bauxite, the raw rock used to make aluminum, and refined it into finished products. Asbestos was part of this process because of its heat-resistant properties.
Kaiser Aluminum later stopped using asbestos and shifted its focus to high-grade aluminum products. Today, the publicly traded company has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, and manufactures components for various industries, including aerospace. However, its decades of asbestos use continue to affect people exposed to its products. Many workers and consumers who handled these products later developed diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.
Kaiser Aluminum’s Asbestos Products
Kaiser Aluminum produced and sold a range of asbestos products. These included items used in industries such as construction, shipbuilding and manufacturing.
Kaiser Aluminum manufactured these asbestos products mainly from the 1950s through the late 1970s. The company made asbestos-containing firebricks and refractory cement. It also sold asbestos products from other companies under its own brand. Several Kaiser subsidiaries produced asbestos materials used in shipbuilding, construction and the air and space industries. According to the trust’s product list, these included its Kaiser Refractories manufacturing division and its Mirawal building products division.
Some products included amosite asbestos, a type that is more harmful and linked to higher cancer risks. For instance, Super D Block Insulation contained 6% amosite.
Occupations at Risk of Exposure to Kaiser Aluminum’s Asbestos Products
Many different types of workers were at risk of asbestos exposure from contact with Kaiser Aluminum products. Kaiser exposed workers to asbestos using the mineral during refining and fabricating operations. This continued until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified asbestos as a carcinogen and issued regulations restricting its use in the late 1970s.
Kaiser used asbestos to insulate vessels during alumina refining, where high heat required durable, fire-resistant materials. The company also used asbestos in aluminum products for the aerospace and automotive industries, taking advantage of its heat resistance and electrical insulation. Workers in metal works, power generation, chemical processing, shipbuilding, manufacturing, oil refining and paper production also faced exposure to Kaiser’s asbestos products.
If you worked with Kaiser Aluminum asbestos products before 1983 and later developed mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis, you may be able to file a claim with the Kaiser Asbestos Trust. You may also have claims involving other asbestos trusts or companies. A lawyer can review your work history and help file each available claim.
Common Questions About the Kaiser Asbestos Trust
How much does the Kaiser Asbestos Trust pay for mesothelioma?
The Kaiser Asbestos Trust lists a scheduled value of $70,000 for mesothelioma, an average value of $104,000 and a maximum value of $380,000. The trust pays a percentage of the approved value. At the current 10.6% rate, a $70,000 scheduled value pays about $7,420. These are trust payment values, not lawsuit settlement amounts, and actual payments vary with each claim.
What is the Kaiser trust’s current payment percentage?
The Kaiser trust’s payment percentage is 10.6% as of Feb. 5, 2025. The trust previously reduced the percentage from 18.1% to 15.5% in 2023, and its original payment percentage was 39.5%. Trusts may lower payment percentages to preserve funds for future claims.
Who can file a Kaiser Asbestos Trust claim?
You may be able to file if you have an asbestos-related disease the trust covers and had exposure to Kaiser asbestos products or operations before Dec. 31, 1982. Covered diseases include mesothelioma, lung cancer, other cancers, severe asbestosis and other asbestos-related conditions. Each disease level has its own medical and exposure requirements.
How do I prove exposure to Kaiser asbestos products?
The trust follows its Exposure Evidence Policy, which it amended effective July 1, 2025. Work at a site on the trust’s Approved Jobsite List can help establish Kaiser asbestos exposure. Claims involving other sites require additional evidence, which may include work records or sworn statements.
Does Kaiser Aluminum still exist?
Yes. Kaiser Aluminum emerged from bankruptcy in 2006 and still operates as a publicly traded aluminum products company based in Franklin, Tennessee. The Kaiser Asbestos Trust handles asbestos claims separately from the company.
Is the Kaiser Aluminum Asbestos Trust the same as the Kaiser Gypsum Asbestos Trust?
No. Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Gypsum are different companies with separate asbestos trusts tied to separate bankruptcy cases. Neither company has a connection to Kaiser Permanente.
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D. Carl Money is an attorney at Nemeroff Law. He has devoted his career to fighting for workers diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families. Money has more than 25 years of experience fighting for people with asbestos-related diseases. He’s licensed in Texas, New York, England and Wales and belongs to various legal organizations across the U.S. and U.K.
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