General Motors (GM) Asbestos Trust

MLC Asbestos Trust

The Motor Liquidation Company (MLC) asbestos personal injury trust was created as part of the bankruptcy proceedings of the General Motors Corporation (GM) in 2009.

Despite the warnings about the dangers of asbestos, GM used asbestos-containing products in the parts and products that went into its vehicles. GM plant employees and their families were exposed along with mechanics outside the company who worked on GM brakes and parts.

Asbestos was also used in GM engine and brake plants nationwide, putting assemblers, fabricators, assembly line workers, skilled trade works and others at risk for exposure. Even today, GM may be one of the many car parts manufactures that still use asbestos. The deadly fibrous mineral is not banned in the United States.

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General Motors Asbestos Exposure

• Factory Workers – GM plants nationwide were known to have toxic levels of asbestos. Today, many of those plants have been abated and renovated, abandoned or slated for demolition. Sites including the GM stamping plant in Wyoming, Ohio, New York, Wisconsin and Tennessee. Factory workers could include anyone who assembled, repaired or handled GM asbestos-containing parts.
• Auto Mechanics – From the earliest days of car manufacturing, auto mechanics who worked on asbestos brakes were at risk for developing mesothelioma. Even today, mechanics are advised against using compressed air to blow out Chrysotile asbestos dust and beveling, grinding and sanding asbestos brakes.
• Other Automobile Enthusiasts – The Motors Liquidation Company Asbestos Trust identifies other possible claimants, including “shade tree” mechanics (do-it-yourselfers), automobile hobbyists, individuals who occasionally performed brake and/or clutch work on their own vehicles or their friends’ and neighbors’ vehicles and individuals who were not regularly employed as professional auto mechanics.

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General Motors Asbestos Settlement

Asbestos victims who are gravely ill or in need of fast access to funds can choose the expedited review, which provides quick access to a settlement based on predetermined sums per disease type. The following information represents average GE settlement amounts for expedited claims:

Disease	Average Payouts
Mesothelioma	$175,000
Lung Cancer	$50,000
Severe Asbestosis	$50,000

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General Motors Asbestos Products

Through the 1980s and despite repeated warnings about health hazards, asbestos was used in GM brake and clutch systems to prevent overheating from friction. Later the company purchased appliance companies including Frigidaire and Delco-Heat, which used asbestos in its products as well. Some of the asbestos-containing materials used or manufactured by GM include the following:

If you or a loved one has dealt with these types of asbestos-containing materials, we can help you understand how to apply for compensation.

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How Were GM Workers Exposed to Asbestos?

In the 1930s, an internal survey of GM brake plants found airborne asbestos concentrations were the highest in areas where asbestos cord was unwound for use in clutch manufacturing, areas where clutch facings were sanded, and areas where dry ingredients were mixed for brake lining composition. Industrial hygiene experts recommended better ventilation for the areas. It wasn’t until the early 1960s that the company installed industrial ventilation in some plants.

GM used auto parts that had heavy concentrations of asbestos. When GM received these products from the manufacturers, employees were ordered to vacuum the asbestos dust from the shipping containers, package the dust in plastic bags and ship the bags to the landfill. Today, dozens of former GM plants are considered environmental hazards from the use of dangerous toxins including asbestos.

In 1986, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) passed regulations that required warnings on brake products, but GM didn’t begin applying the warnings until 1989. GM, along with automakers Ford and Chrysler, have paid more than $43 million to scientific experts who testified in court that the amount of asbestos used in brake shoes and pads was harmless.