ABB Lummus Global Asbestos Trust

About the ABB Lummus Global Trust

ABB Lummus Global traced its origins to the Lummus Company, a major American engineering and construction firm that specialized in the design and construction of petrochemical plants, ethylene crackers, oil refineries, and heavy chemical processing installations from the early twentieth century onward. Over decades, Lummus and its successor entities — including C-E Lummus and eventually ABB Lummus Global under the ownership of ABB Ltd., the Swiss-headquartered engineering conglomerate — executed large-scale construction projects at facilities throughout the United States and internationally. The nature of this work meant that Lummus Global's construction crews, subcontractors, and the tradespeople who worked alongside them were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, refractory materials, and structural products that were standard components of petrochemical construction during the mid-twentieth century.

Asbestos was pervasive in the petrochemical and refinery construction environment where Lummus Global worked. Pipe insulation, equipment insulation, boiler lagging, fire-resistant cladding, and high-temperature gasket materials all commonly contained asbestos during the peak construction years of the 1940s through the 1970s. Construction workers, insulators, pipefitters, ironworkers, boilermakers, and electricians on Lummus Global projects were exposed to asbestos fibers throughout the construction process, often for careers spanning multiple major refinery and petrochemical projects. Decades later, mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer diagnoses began to emerge among this workforce in significant numbers.

As part of ABB Ltd.'s global asbestos liability resolution, a trust was established to handle legacy asbestos claims arising from ABB Lummus Global's engineering and construction project history. The trust compensates claimants through individual claim review rather than a fixed payment percentage schedule, meaning each claim is evaluated on its specific merits — the severity and documentation of the diagnosis, the quality and specificity of the exposure evidence, the claimant's age and circumstances, and other relevant factors. Claimants with strong exposure documentation and confirmed mesothelioma diagnoses can expect meaningful individual review offers.

Trust Fund Details

Note: Because payment is determined individually, the quality of your exposure documentation and legal representation significantly affects your claim's outcome. Consult a mesothelioma attorney to assess your claim's strength.

Who Is Eligible to File an ABB Lummus Global Trust Claim?

Eligibility for the ABB Lummus Global Trust requires a qualifying asbestos-related diagnosis and documented exposure to asbestos-containing materials during work on or at facilities engineered or constructed by Lummus Global or its predecessor entities. The following worker categories are commonly covered:

• Construction Workers: Laborers, carpenters, iron workers, and general construction employees who worked on ABB Lummus Global-managed construction projects at petrochemical plants and refineries where asbestos-containing materials were used during construction.
• Insulators: Tradespeople who installed asbestos pipe, equipment, and vessel insulation on Lummus Global construction projects and were directly exposed to asbestos dust during cutting, fitting, and application.
• Pipefitters and Steamfitters: Workers who installed piping systems on Lummus Global petrochemical and refinery construction projects, working alongside insulators in asbestos-heavy environments.
• Boilermakers: Workers who erected and installed boilers, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers on Lummus Global projects, routinely working in proximity to asbestos insulation and lagging materials.
• Millwrights and Ironworkers: Equipment installation specialists who worked on Lummus Global-engineered facilities during construction phases when asbestos-containing materials were being installed throughout the plant.
• Engineers and Project Managers: Lummus Global employed engineers, supervisors, and project managers who spent significant time on construction sites and may have been exposed to airborne asbestos fibers during construction activities.
• Maintenance Workers at Lummus-Built Facilities: Workers employed at refineries or petrochemical plants built or modified by Lummus Global who encountered asbestos-containing materials during subsequent plant maintenance and operations.
• Subcontractors: Workers employed by subcontractors engaged by Lummus Global on construction projects who worked in the same asbestos-containing environments as direct Lummus employees.
• Family Members (Secondary Exposure): Household members of construction workers who were exposed to asbestos fibers transported on work clothing.

Because payment is determined through Individual Review, the strength of your exposure documentation — including specific Lummus Global project identifications, dates, and co-worker testimony — directly influences your claim's value. An experienced attorney is particularly important for maximizing ABB Lummus Global Trust recoveries.

How to File an ABB Lummus Global Trust Claim

Because the ABB Lummus Global Trust uses Individual Review rather than a fixed Expedited Review track, the claim preparation process requires especially thorough exposure documentation. An experienced mesothelioma attorney is essential to building a strong claim:

1. Engage a Mesothelioma Attorney With Trust Claim Experience

   An attorney who handles asbestos trust claims regularly will know the ABB Lummus Global Trust's specific documentation requirements and the level of exposure evidence needed to support a strong Individual Review offer. The initial evaluation is free.

2. Secure Comprehensive Medical Records

   Gather all medical records confirming your diagnosis: pathology reports, tissue biopsy results, imaging studies, pulmonology and oncology notes. Mesothelioma diagnoses should include the cell type (epithelioid, sarcomatoid, biphasic) as this affects scheduled values in many trusts.

3. Identify Specific ABB Lummus Global Projects in Your Work History

   Work with your attorney to identify every Lummus Global, C-E Lummus, or Lummus Company construction project on which you worked or were employed. Project names, facility names, locations, and your job duties during those projects are all critical information. Union records, contractor payroll records, and Social Security earnings histories help reconstruct this history.

4. Gather Project-Specific Asbestos Evidence

   For Individual Review claims, project-level documentation of asbestos use significantly strengthens the claim. Facility records, construction specifications, product purchase orders, or other documents showing that asbestos-containing materials were used on the specific Lummus projects where you worked can all be valuable evidence.

5. Obtain Co-Worker and Expert Testimony if Appropriate

   Affidavits from former co-workers who can confirm your presence on Lummus Global projects and the presence of asbestos materials, and in some cases expert industrial hygiene testimony about asbestos exposure levels on similar petrochemical construction projects, can strengthen an Individual Review claim.

6. Complete and Submit the Claim Package

   Your attorney will prepare all required trust claim forms and compile the supporting documentation package per the trust's TDP requirements. The claim is submitted to the trust administrator for Individual Review processing.

7. Negotiate the Individual Review Offer

   The trust will issue an Individual Review offer based on its evaluation of the medical and exposure evidence. Your attorney will advise you on whether to accept the offer or pursue further negotiation, reconsideration, or arbitration to seek higher compensation.

Can You File Claims With Other Trusts Too?

Yes — and for workers whose careers included multiple major petrochemical and refinery construction projects, the number of potentially applicable trusts can be substantial. Refinery and petrochemical construction workers throughout the mid-twentieth century worked in environments filled with asbestos-containing products from dozens of manufacturers: insulation from Owens Corning Fiberglas, Johns Manville, and Armstrong; gaskets and packing from Garlock and A.P. Green; boiler components from Combustion Engineering and Babcock & Wilcox; refractory materials from various suppliers. Many of these manufacturers subsequently established asbestos bankruptcy trusts of their own.

An attorney will conduct a thorough exposure history review to identify every trust for which you qualify — not just ABB Lummus Global. Filing with each applicable trust simultaneously is standard practice. Civil litigation against solvent defendants who contributed to your exposure remains available alongside trust claims and does not eliminate any trust claim options.

For ABB Lummus Global claimants specifically, the combination of a strong Individual Review outcome from the ABB Lummus trust, payments from multiple additional product manufacturer trusts, and civil lawsuit settlements can produce significantly larger total compensation packages than any single source of recovery would provide.

Frequently Asked Questions