Pleural plaques compensation: what asbestos trusts pay
Plaques are thickened patches on the lining around the lungs, and pleural plaques compensation is small: lawsuits rarely pay anything for them alone. If both sides of the chest show plaques, though, many asbestos bankruptcy trusts will pay at their lowest claim level. Families frequently submit multiple claims since current payments for lower-level pleural disease range from $165 to $3,835 per trust.
Values for higher-level asbestosis or pleural disease at 23 trusts
| Trust | Asbestosis or pleural disease (higher level) | Asbestosis or pleural disease (lower level) | Share paid | Paid today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owens Corning / FibreboardOwens Corning claims | $19,000 | $8,000 | 4.3% | $817 |
| Owens Corning / FibreboardFibreboard claims | $11,500 | $4,500 | 3.5% | $403 |
| Federal-Mogul | $12,700 | $5,700 | 2.9% | $368 |
| Pittsburgh Corning | $11,750 | $5,500 | 19% | $2,233 |
| Keene | $10,600 | $4,800 | 1.05% | $111 |
| A. P. Green | $10,580 | $3,504 | 6% | $635 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $10,000 | $5,000 | 4.3% | $430 |
| Armstrong World Industries | $9,700 | $3,700 | 7.8% | $757 |
| Christy Refractories | $9,000 | $4,000 | 55% | $4,950 |
| USG (United States Gypsum) | $8,300 | $2,625 | 10% | $830 |
| T H Agriculture & Nutrition | $8,000 | $3,800 | 16.3% | $1,304 |
| W. R. Grace | $7,500 | $2,500 | 30.1% | $2,258 |
| ACandS | $7,500 | $3,000 | 2.89% | $217 |
| ARTRA | $6,000 | Not scheduled | 0.7% | $42 |
| Paddock (Owens-Illinois) | $5,900 | $2,900 | 65% | $3,835 |
| Quigley | $5,000 | $2,000 | 13.3% | $665 |
| Burns and Roe | $5,000 | $2,000 | 36.87% | $1,844 |
| Leslie Controls | $4,500 | $1,500 | 6.25% | $281 |
| Motors Liquidation (old GM) | $4,000 | $1,600 | 10.3% | $412 |
| Congoleum | $3,963 | $1,321 | 8.67% | $344 |
| Bondex | $2,500 | $800 | 29.5% | $738 |
| Yarway | $2,000 | $500 | 27.5% | $550 |
| United Gilsonite | $1,947 | $1,169 | 3.35% | $65 |
Each trust lists scheduled values on its claim value page or in distribution procedures. "Paid today" equals that first figure multiplied by the current payment percentage.
Ask whether a pleural disease claim fits any trust in the work history.
Can I get compensation for pleural plaques?
On their own, plaques rarely give you grounds for a lawsuit. You may get compensation if plaques come with asbestosis, which is a non-cancer lung disease, or cancers like mesothelioma caused by asbestos. You may also qualify if you develop lung cancer following asbestos exposure. Those who have plaques alongside a serious asbestos illness have received $1 million or more in some cases. No two cases are exactly alike.
Asbestos bankruptcy trusts still hold more than $30 billion. Filing deadlines for state lawsuits range from 1 to 6 years following diagnosis.
What is the average payout for pleural plaques and asbestosis?
At their lower levels, trusts combine pleural disease with non-cancer lung disease. Of the 54 active trusts, 48 list a current payment percentage that ranges from 0.7% to 100%. For each trust, the base dollar amount for a disease, called the scheduled value, gets multiplied by that percentage.
What do trusts require for pleural disease claims?
The medical rules for the Armstrong World Industries trust require at least 10 years between exposure and diagnosis. To get the lowest paid level, you need an x-ray, scan, or tissue report showing plaques or thickening on both sides. A doctor's note is not enough for newer claims if it states a condition is only consistent with asbestosis.
The next level needs 5 years of job exposure overall, and 6 months of contact with Armstrong asbestos before December 31, 1982. Breathing test results are needed for higher levels, such as an airflow ratio of at least 65% with lung volume below 80%. Besides that, your work history must show 5 years with or near asbestos, and 2 of those years must fall before December 31, 1982.
Are pleural plaques a serious condition?
On their own, plaques are seen as harmless, and people who have them can expect a normal lifespan. Doctors typically discover them accidentally during chest x-rays or scans performed for other reasons. In 10% to 15% of cases, or roughly 20% according to some reports, plaques harden without creating major health issues.
It usually takes 10 to 50 years after exposure for plaques to form, with 40 years being the average. Nearly 50% of those exposed to asbestos end up developing them. Fibers brought home on work clothes caused exposure for many, as did working before the early 1980s. Regular screenings and stopping smoking are still advised, even though the cancer risk after plaques is fairly low. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, a lasting cough, or coughing up blood. If doctors suspect cancer, they might perform a biopsy to remove a tissue sample for testing.