About Babcock & Wilcox and Its Asbestos Liability
Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) was founded in 1867 and grew to become one of the premier manufacturers of industrial and marine boilers in the world. Operating from its headquarters in Barberton, Ohio, B&W supplied steam-generating boilers and related equipment to virtually every major industrial sector in the United States, including electric power generation, chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, paper and pulp production, and the U.S. Navy.
B&W boilers were massive, high-temperature, high-pressure systems that required extensive thermal insulation to operate safely and efficiently. From the company’s earliest years through the 1970s, this insulation was made with asbestos — primarily chrysotile and amosite. Workers who constructed, installed, maintained, repaired, and operated B&W boilers were exposed to asbestos from the insulation, as well as from asbestos-containing gaskets and packing materials used throughout the boiler systems.
B&W was also a major supplier of nuclear steam supply systems and reactor vessel components to U.S. commercial nuclear power plants in the 1960s and 1970s, further broadening the population of workers who encountered B&W equipment with asbestos components.
The volume of asbestos personal injury claims against Babcock & Wilcox eventually led the company to seek bankruptcy protection and establish an asbestos trust to compensate victims. The trust operates with a payment percentage of 4.7% and continues to accept new claims.
Trust Fund Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Trust Name | Babcock & Wilcox Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust |
| Predecessor Company | Babcock & Wilcox Company |
| Payment Percentage | 4.7% |
| Mesothelioma Scheduled Value | ~$200,000 (actual payment ~$9,400 at 4.7%) |
| Products / Equipment | Industrial boilers, marine boilers, nuclear steam supply systems, with asbestos insulation and gaskets |
| Primary Industries | Electric power generation, chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, U.S. Navy / shipbuilding |
| Claim Types Accepted | Mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural disease |
The 4.7% payment percentage, while low on a percentage basis, applies to a substantial scheduled value. Because B&W equipment was present at so many different types of facilities across the country, this trust is an important component of many mesothelioma victims’ overall recovery — particularly shipyard workers and power plant workers.
Who Is Eligible to File with the Babcock & Wilcox Trust?
Eligibility requires documented exposure to asbestos materials associated with Babcock & Wilcox boilers, nuclear equipment, or other B&W industrial systems, along with a qualifying medical diagnosis.
Eligible occupations and worksites:
- Shipyard workers: B&W manufactured boilers for U.S. Navy destroyers, submarines, aircraft carriers, and other vessels. Shipyard workers at Navy yards including Portsmouth, Norfolk, Charleston, Bremerton, and private yards worked on B&W marine boilers with asbestos insulation and gaskets.
- Boilermakers: Workers who installed, repaired, and inspected B&W industrial boilers were directly exposed to asbestos insulation and gasket materials.
- Power plant workers: B&W supplied boilers to coal-fired and oil-fired electric power plants across the country. Operators, maintenance workers, and contractors at these facilities were exposed to B&W boiler asbestos materials.
- Nuclear power plant workers: B&W supplied nuclear steam supply systems to multiple commercial nuclear power plants. Workers at these facilities who worked on B&W equipment may have asbestos exposure claims.
- Refinery and chemical plant workers: B&W process boilers and fired heaters were installed at oil refineries and chemical plants nationwide.
- Pipefitters and insulators: Workers who insulated B&W boiler systems or worked near insulation activities were exposed.
Qualifying diagnoses: mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural conditions.
How to File a Babcock & Wilcox Trust Claim
- Consult a mesothelioma attorney: Your attorney will assess your work history at power plants, shipyards, refineries, or other facilities where B&W equipment was used.
- Establish B&W equipment presence: Your attorney identifies which facilities housed B&W boilers or nuclear equipment and during which time periods. Facility records, Navy ship records (for shipyard workers), and industry databases are used to document this.
- Exposure documentation: Your job duties and proximity to B&W boiler work and insulation activities are documented through co-worker affidavits, work records, and other evidence.
- Medical evidence: Pathology report and diagnostic records establishing mesothelioma or another qualifying disease are compiled.
- Claim submission: Your attorney submits the completed claim package to the B&W Trust administrator.
- Review and payment: The trust reviews the claim and pays at 4.7% of the scheduled disease value upon approval.
Can You File Other Claims at the Same Time?
Yes. B&W boiler exposure typically occurred at the same facilities and during the same careers where workers also encountered Manville insulation, Pittsburgh Corning Unibestos, Owens Corning Kaylo, and other asbestos insulation products. All applicable trust claims can be filed simultaneously. Shipyard workers in particular often have claims against multiple trusts due to the wide variety of asbestos products used at naval and commercial shipyards. Your attorney will identify every applicable trust based on your specific work history.
Frequently Asked Questions
The trust currently pays at approximately 4.7% of the scheduled disease value. While the percentage is relatively low, the claim is an important component of a comprehensive trust fund strategy, particularly for shipyard workers and power plant workers who have multiple other applicable trust claims as well.
B&W boilers were used in electric power generation (coal and oil-fired plants), petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, paper and pulp mills, steel mills, and the U.S. Navy (destroyers, submarines, aircraft carriers, and other vessels). B&W also supplied nuclear steam supply systems and reactor vessel components to commercial nuclear power plants. Any worker employed at these facilities who worked on or near B&W boiler systems may have a claim.
Yes. U.S. Navy veterans who served aboard vessels equipped with B&W marine boilers may have a claim with this trust. Navy destroyers, aircraft carriers, submarines, and other vessels used B&W boilers that were insulated with asbestos. Veterans who worked in engine rooms or boiler rooms on these ships face documented elevated mesothelioma risk. A mesothelioma attorney experienced with Navy asbestos cases can identify which trusts apply based on the ships you served aboard.
Yes. B&W Trust claims are entirely separate from claims with other trusts and from lawsuits against solvent defendants. Workers at facilities where B&W boilers were present often also encountered other asbestos products from multiple manufacturers, making multi-trust filing common and important for maximizing total recovery.