Fuller-Austin Insulation Asbestos Settlement Trust

About the Fuller-Austin Settlement Trust

Fuller-Austin Insulation Company was a prominent industrial insulation contractor based in California. Operating from the mid-twentieth century, Fuller-Austin secured major contracts to install, repair, and replace thermal insulation at petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, power generating facilities, and other heavy industrial installations throughout California and the western United States. For most of its operating history, the company used asbestos-containing insulation products — pipe covering, block insulation, spray-applied fireproofing, and insulating cements — as the primary materials for its contracting work.

The workers most directly affected were the insulators and pipefitters who measured, cut, fitted, and applied asbestos insulation to piping systems, tanks, vessels, and process equipment. These workers handled asbestos materials daily, often in confined areas where dust concentrations were severe. The act of sawing asbestos block insulation, mixing asbestos cement, and fitting asbestos pipe covering to complex pipe configurations generated significant quantities of airborne asbestos fibers. Workers also disturbed old asbestos insulation during renovation and maintenance projects, releasing previously fixed fibers back into the breathing zone.

Fuller-Austin also exposed other tradespeople on the same job sites — electricians, pipe fitters, painters, and general laborers who worked in proximity to Fuller-Austin insulation crews experienced bystander exposures. In the crowded, overlapping work environments typical of refinery turnarounds and plant construction projects, these secondary exposures were often just as intense as the direct exposures experienced by Fuller-Austin employees.

As asbestos disease claims accumulated through the 1980s and 1990s, Fuller-Austin Insulation Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1998. The Fuller-Austin Insulation Asbestos Settlement Trust was established in 2001 following confirmation of the bankruptcy plan to compensate workers injured by asbestos exposure on Fuller-Austin projects. The trust operates under a TDP with a current payment percentage of 30% of scheduled claim values, yielding approximately $75,000 for mesothelioma claimants.

Trust Fund Details

Note: Payment percentages are subject to periodic adjustment by the trustee based on trust fund performance and claims experience. Consult an asbestos attorney for current figures.

Who Is Eligible to File a Fuller-Austin Settlement Trust Claim?

Eligibility requires evidence of exposure to asbestos during work on Fuller-Austin Insulation contracting projects and a qualifying asbestos-related disease diagnosis. Workers in many trades were present at Fuller-Austin job sites. Those most likely to be eligible include:

• Insulators (Heat and Frost Insulators) — the primary Fuller-Austin trade, who applied asbestos pipe covering, block, and cement at refineries and power plants
• Insulator apprentices and helpers who worked alongside journeymen insulators on Fuller-Austin projects
• Pipefitters and steamfitters who worked in close proximity to Fuller-Austin insulation crews during installation and maintenance projects
• Refinery operators and maintenance workers at California refineries where Fuller-Austin crews regularly performed insulation work
• Power plant workers at generating stations where Fuller-Austin installed and maintained boiler and turbine insulation
• Chemical plant employees at petrochemical facilities where Fuller-Austin handled process piping insulation
• Boilermakers who worked alongside Fuller-Austin insulators on boiler insulation projects
• Electricians, carpenters, and other tradespeople who worked as bystanders in areas where Fuller-Austin crews were applying or removing asbestos insulation
• Supervisory and inspection personnel who oversaw Fuller-Austin work and were regularly in the work area
• Household exposure claimants — family members exposed to asbestos carried home on Fuller-Austin workers' clothing

Fuller-Austin's asbestos insulation work was most extensive from approximately the 1940s through the mid-1970s, when asbestos-containing materials were standard in the insulation industry. Workers employed during this period at California refineries and similar facilities are the most common Fuller-Austin Trust claimants.

How to File a Fuller-Austin Settlement Trust Claim

The Fuller-Austin Trust claim process is managed through an independent trust administrator. An experienced asbestos attorney handles the process on a contingency fee basis, meaning no payment is owed until you receive compensation.

1. Hire an asbestos attorney experienced in insulation contractor trust claims. Trust claims for insulation contractors require specific documentation strategies. Choose an attorney or firm familiar with Fuller-Austin and the California refinery and power plant exposure environment.
2. Obtain complete medical records documenting your diagnosis. The trust requires confirmed mesothelioma or asbestos disease documented by pathology reports, physician records, and where available, imaging studies. A treating physician's statement linking your disease to occupational asbestos exposure strengthens the submission.
3. Build your employment history on Fuller-Austin projects. The most important evidence is documentation placing you on a Fuller-Austin job site. Heat and Frost Insulators union dispatch records, Social Security earnings records showing Fuller-Austin employment, payroll records, and affidavits from co-workers who can confirm your presence on Fuller-Austin projects are all valuable.
4. Your attorney prepares the official claim submission. The trust's TDP specifies required forms and documentation. Your attorney assembles the complete package — claim form, medical documentation, work history narrative, and supporting records — and submits it to the trust's claims administrator.
5. Select your review pathway. Expedited Review provides faster resolution at the full scheduled value for straightforward mesothelioma claims. Individual Review allows for a larger award if your circumstances warrant, but involves more time and documentation.
6. The trust reviews and evaluates your claim. The trust administrator reviews the submission for completeness and evaluates whether the medical and exposure documentation meets the TDP's standards. Valid mesothelioma claims are approved for payment at the current 30% payment rate.
7. Receive your settlement check. Approved mesothelioma claims receive approximately $75,000 (30% of the $250,000 scheduled value). Your attorney's contingency fee is deducted from the gross settlement. The process from submission to payment typically takes 6 to 12 months.

Can You File Other Claims at the Same Time?

Absolutely. Insulators who worked on Fuller-Austin projects were also exposed to asbestos from the many manufacturers whose products Fuller-Austin installed — including Johns Manville, Owens Corning, Armstrong, Celotex, Eagle-Picher, and others. Each of these manufacturers has its own asbestos trust, and a single insulator's career commonly generates eligibility for ten or more separate trusts.

Additionally, insulators typically worked for multiple insulation contractors over their careers, meaning other contractor-based trusts may also be applicable. Trust claims can be filed simultaneously across all applicable trusts, with each trust paying independently. Civil litigation against solvent companies that contributed to your asbestos exposure remains an additional avenue. For mesothelioma patients whose exposure history includes Fuller-Austin and other California refinery work, the combined value of trust claims and potential litigation can be substantially higher than any single trust payment. An experienced asbestos attorney can develop a comprehensive recovery strategy covering all applicable sources.

Frequently Asked Questions