Kaiser Aluminum Corporation Asbestos Trust Claims
The formal claims vehicle is the Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation Asbestos Personal Injury Trust. It was created in 2006 under Kaiser Aluminum Corporation and Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation’s Chapter 11 reorganization to process, liquidate and pay valid asbestos personal-injury claims. The Trust’s latest official payment notice located is especially important: on February 5, 2025 the Trustees proposed reducing the Payment Percentage from 15.5% to 10.6%, and under TDP section 4.3 directed Verus Claims Services to pay claims at the lower 10.6% rate while the proposed change was pending.
Kaiser Aluminum Asbestos Trust Facts
| Formal trust name | Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation Asbestos Personal Injury Trust |
|---|---|
| Debtors | Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and certain affiliates |
| Chapter 11 filing | 2002 |
| Plan confirmation | February 6, 2006 |
| Plan effective / Trust created | July 6, 2006 |
| Bankruptcy Code protection | Section 524(g) asbestos trust and channeling structure |
| Claims filing began | December 18, 2006 |
| Initial Claims Filing Date | June 18, 2007 |
| Claims administrator | Verus Claims Services |
| Last fully adopted Payment Percentage located | 15.5% |
| Current claim-payment rate under pending redetermination | 10.6%, effective February 5, 2025 under TDP section 4.3 |
| Current status | Active |
Kaiser Bankruptcy and Trust History
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and certain affiliates reorganized through Chapter 11. The Bankruptcy Court confirmed the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization on February 6, 2006. The Plan became effective on July 6, 2006, when Kaiser emerged from Chapter 11.
SEC filings confirm that the Asbestos PI Trust was created on the Effective Date to assume asbestos personal-injury liabilities of KACC and its affiliates, process and pay those claims, and preserve assets for present and future claimants. Separate trusts were created for silica, coal-tar-pitch-volatiles and noise-induced hearing-loss liabilities; those should not be confused with the asbestos trust.
The official Trust website states that asbestos claims could be filed beginning December 18, 2006, with June 18, 2007 designated as the Initial Claim Filing Date.
Kaiser Disease Values
The governing Third Amended TDP publishes the following Scheduled, Average and Maximum Values:
| Disease | Scheduled Value | Average Value | Maximum Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIII — Mesothelioma | $70,000 | $104,000 | $380,000 |
| VII — Lung Cancer 1 | $27,500 | $33,000 | $85,000 |
| VI — Lung Cancer 2 | None | $7,000 | $20,000 |
| V — Other Cancer | $13,800 | $17,300 | $40,000 |
| IV — Severe Asbestosis | $20,750 | $22,000 | $55,000 |
| III — Asbestosis/Pleural Disease | $4,850 | None | None |
| II — Asbestosis/Pleural Disease | $700 | None | None |
| I — Other Asbestos Disease | $200 Cash Discount Payment | None | None |
Lung Cancer 2 does not have a Scheduled Value and must undergo Individual Review. The TDP also makes clear that Average and Maximum Values are valuation parameters, not guaranteed payments.
Need help now? Call 800.291.0963
Live chat available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Submit Your Case
Current Payment-Percentage Status
The Kaiser payment history requires careful wording. An official November 1, 2020 notice reduced the Payment Percentage from 25% to 18.1%. In 2023 the Trustees sought consent to reduce it from 18.1% to 15.5%, and the Trust subsequently posted a Payment Percentage change notice.
On February 5, 2025, the Trustees formally sought consent to decrease the Payment Percentage from 15.5% to 10.6%. The notice invokes TDP section 4.3, which provides that while a proposed change is pending, claimants receive the lower of the current percentage or proposed percentage. The Trustees therefore directed Verus to pay claims at 10.6% effective February 5, 2025.
The Trust’s current resource page still displays that February 5, 2025 notice, and no later official notice adopting a different percentage was located during this September 2026 review. For precision, this page distinguishes the 15.5% last adopted rate located from the 10.6% rate currently directed for claim payments under the pending redetermination.
If the proposed lower percentage is ultimately not adopted, TDP section 4.3 provides for payment of the difference between the lower proposed amount and the higher current amount.
Medical and Exposure Requirements
The Kaiser TDP requires disease-specific medical evidence and qualifying Kaiser Exposure. For Mesothelioma Level VIII, a claimant must provide a mesothelioma diagnosis and credible evidence of Kaiser Exposure.
The TDP defines Kaiser Exposure as meaningful and credible exposure before December 31, 1982 to asbestos or asbestos-containing products supplied, specified, manufactured, installed, maintained or repaired by Kaiser or an entity for which Kaiser has legal responsibility.
For several disease levels, including Lung Cancer 1, Other Cancer, Severe Asbestosis and Asbestosis/Pleural Disease Level III, the presumptive criteria additionally require six months of Kaiser Exposure before December 31, 1982 and Significant Occupational Exposure. The TDP defines Significant Occupational Exposure using cumulative occupational exposure requirements and qualifying asbestos work circumstances.
Evidence may include claimant, coworker or qualifying family-member affidavits, employment records, invoices, construction records and other reliable proof accepted by the Trust.
Expedited and Individual Review
The Kaiser Trust offers Expedited Review for claims meeting the presumptive medical and exposure criteria for eligible disease levels. A qualifying Expedited Review claim is liquidated at the applicable Scheduled Value, subject to the Payment Percentage and other TDP limitations.
Claimants with Disease Levels IV through VIII may elect Individual Review to seek a different liquidated value. Individual Review can result in a value above or below the Scheduled Value and generally cannot exceed the applicable Maximum Value unless the claim qualifies for Extraordinary Claim treatment.
Lung Cancer 2 and Foreign Claims require Individual Review. Secondary Exposure Claims also must proceed through Individual Review and satisfy the TDP’s additional proof requirements.
Mathematical Payment Examples
Mathematical illustration only — not a guaranteed payment. These examples use the TDP’s published Scheduled Values and the 10.6% claim-payment rate directed by the February 5, 2025 notice:
- Mesothelioma Scheduled Value: $70,000 × 10.6% = approximately $7,420.
- Lung Cancer 1 Scheduled Value: $27,500 × 10.6% = approximately $2,915.
- Other Cancer Scheduled Value: $13,800 × 10.6% = approximately $1,462.80.
- Severe Asbestosis Scheduled Value: $20,750 × 10.6% = approximately $2,199.50.
These are arithmetic examples only. Actual payments depend on claim approval, liquidated value, review method, the Payment Percentage provisions then applicable, Maximum Available Payment, Claims Payment Ratio and other governing rules. Disease Level I is a $200 Cash Discount Payment and is not subject to the ordinary Payment Percentage under the TDP.
Trust Funding and Financial Facts
SEC-filed reorganization materials show that the Kaiser bankruptcy created several personal-injury trusts plus a Funding Vehicle Trust. The Asbestos PI Trust received specified assets, including interests described in the Plan, while the Funding Vehicle Trust received cash and insurance assets used in the broader personal-injury trust funding structure.
Those historical Plan contributions should not be described as the Kaiser Asbestos PI Trust’s current assets. A sufficiently current official annual report or audited financial statement providing September 2026 current assets, cumulative claims paid and cumulative dollars paid was not located in the Trust’s public resource archive during this build. Those statistics are therefore omitted rather than estimated from secondary sources.
Confirmed Primary Sources for Trust Facts
No law-firm or lead-generation website was used as factual authority for this page. Primary sources reviewed include:
- Official Kaiser Asbestos Personal Injury Trust website.
- Official Kaiser Trust resource center containing payment notices, TDP, claim instructions and exposure materials.
- Official Third Amended Kaiser Asbestos Trust Distribution Procedures.
- Official February 5, 2025 notice proposing the 10.6% Payment Percentage and directing payments at 10.6% while pending.
- Official June 19, 2023 notice concerning the reduction from 18.1% to 15.5%.
- Official November 1, 2020 Payment Percentage notice reducing the rate from 25% to 18.1%.
- SEC filing confirming the July 6, 2006 effective date and creation of the Kaiser personal-injury trusts.
- SEC-filed Kaiser reorganization disclosure describing the Asbestos PI Trust’s purposes and transferred assets.
Related Asbestos Trust Fund Resources
Asbestos Trust Fund Information
Kaiser Filing and Eligibility
Payment Percentage and Trust History
Frequently Asked Questions About the Kaiser Aluminum Asbestos Trust
What is the formal Kaiser asbestos trust name?
The formal name is the Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation Asbestos Personal Injury Trust.
When was the Kaiser Asbestos Trust created?
The Trust was created on July 6, 2006 when Kaiser’s confirmed Chapter 11 reorganization plan became effective.
What rate is currently being used to pay Kaiser claims?
The February 5, 2025 official notice directed Verus to pay claims at 10.6% while a proposed reduction from the 15.5% Payment Percentage was pending under TDP section 4.3.
What is the Kaiser Mesothelioma Scheduled Value?
The governing TDP lists a $70,000 Scheduled Value, $104,000 Average Value and $380,000 Maximum Value for Mesothelioma Level VIII.
What does 10.6% of the Mesothelioma Scheduled Value equal?
$70,000 multiplied by 10.6% equals approximately $7,420. This is a mathematical illustration only — not a guaranteed payment.
What is the Lung Cancer 1 Scheduled Value?
The TDP lists $27,500 Scheduled, $33,000 Average and $85,000 Maximum Values for Lung Cancer 1.
Does Lung Cancer 2 have a Scheduled Value?
No. Lung Cancer 2 requires Individual Review; the TDP lists a $7,000 Average Value and $20,000 Maximum Value.
Who processes Kaiser asbestos claims?
Verus Claims Services processes claims for the Kaiser Asbestos Personal Injury Trust.
Get Help Reviewing a Kaiser Aluminum Asbestos Claim
Call 800.291.0963
Live chat is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
A work history involving Kaiser Aluminum or Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation does not automatically establish asbestos exposure, Trust eligibility or compensation. Eligibility depends on diagnosis, qualifying Kaiser Exposure, medical evidence, the review method, current Trust procedures and individual claim facts. Compensation is not guaranteed.
⚕️ Legal & Medical Information Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information and is not medical or legal advice. The information does not establish asbestos exposure, diagnosis, causation, liability, claim eligibility or compensation. Medical concerns should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional, and legal questions should be reviewed with a qualified attorney.