About Raybestos-Manhattan, Raymark, and Their Asbestos Liability
Raybestos-Manhattan was one of the founding companies of the American asbestos products industry, tracing its corporate roots to the early twentieth century. The company became a dominant manufacturer of friction products — primarily brake linings and clutch facings for automobiles, trucks, and industrial machinery — that used asbestos as the primary friction material. Asbestos was ideal for brake linings: it could withstand extreme heat without degrading and provided consistent braking performance.
Raybestos-Manhattan’s products were sold under the Raybestos brand name to automotive parts distributors, service stations, dealerships, and industrial users across the country. Auto mechanics who replaced Raybestos brake linings, brake specialists, and industrial maintenance workers who serviced machinery with Raybestos clutch facings were exposed to asbestos dust generated during installation, removal, and machining of these products. Blowing out brake drums with compressed air — a common practice before the hazard was understood — released concentrated asbestos fiber clouds directly into the breathing zone.
Raymark Industries was a successor corporate entity that continued some of Raybestos-Manhattan’s operations. Raytech Corporation ultimately succeeded these entities and, facing accumulated asbestos liability, filed for bankruptcy and established the Raytech Trust to compensate victims of Raybestos-Manhattan and Raymark asbestos friction product exposure. The trust launched in 2001 with $52 million in initial funding.
Trust Fund Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Trust Name | Raytech Corporation Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust |
| Predecessor Companies | Raybestos-Manhattan / Raymark Industries / Raytech Corporation |
| Payment Percentage | 1.35% |
| Claims Administrator | CPF (Claims Processing Facility) |
| Initial Trust Funding | $52 million (established 2001) |
| Products | Raybestos brake linings, clutch facings, industrial friction materials |
| Primary Industries | Automotive repair, industrial machinery, railroad, military vehicles |
| Claim Types Accepted | Mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural disease |
The 1.35% payment percentage is relatively low, reflecting the trust’s initial $52 million funding against a large pool of potential claimants from the wide distribution of Raybestos products. However, the Raytech claim is typically filed alongside multiple other trust claims, and the administrative process is handled entirely by your attorney as part of comprehensive representation.
How Raybestos Products Created Asbestos Exposure
Raybestos brake linings and clutch facings created asbestos exposure through several distinct work activities:
- Brake replacement: Auto mechanics who removed worn brake shoes containing Raybestos asbestos linings were exposed to asbestos dust released from the worn and friable friction material.
- Drum blow-out: Before the health hazard was understood, mechanics routinely used compressed air to blow dust out of brake drums during brake jobs. This practice released concentrated asbestos fiber clouds directly into the mechanic’s breathing zone.
- Machining and grinding: Brake specialists who machined or ground brake linings to fit specific applications generated asbestos dust in significant quantities.
- Clutch service: Workers who serviced clutch systems in cars, trucks, and industrial machinery, removing and installing Raybestos clutch facings, encountered asbestos from worn friction material.
- Industrial friction material service: Maintenance workers who serviced industrial machinery with Raybestos friction components were exposed during inspection, removal, and installation of these parts.
Who Is Eligible to File with the Raytech Trust?
Eligibility requires documented exposure to Raybestos-Manhattan or Raymark friction products along with a qualifying medical diagnosis:
- Auto mechanics and brake specialists: Workers who regularly installed, removed, and machined Raybestos brake linings and drum brake components in automotive repair settings.
- Truck and fleet mechanics: Workers who serviced heavy-duty vehicles with Raybestos commercial brake products.
- Industrial maintenance workers: Personnel who serviced machinery with Raybestos clutch facings, friction plates, and industrial brake components.
- Railroad workers: Rail industry workers who maintained train brake systems incorporating Raybestos friction materials.
- Military vehicle mechanics: Service members and civilian workers who maintained military vehicles with Raybestos or Raymark brake components.
Qualifying diagnoses: mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural conditions.
How to File a Raytech Trust Claim
- Consult a mesothelioma attorney: Your attorney will review your automotive or industrial work history to identify Raybestos and Raymark product exposure.
- Document friction product exposure: Employment records, shop records, co-worker testimony, and product identification evidence are used to establish Raybestos product use in the work environments where you were employed.
- Compile medical evidence: Pathology reports and diagnostic records for mesothelioma or other qualifying disease are assembled.
- Submit to CPF: Your attorney submits the claim to CPF, the administrator for the Raytech Trust.
- Review and payment: The trust reviews the claim and pays at 1.35% of the scheduled disease value upon approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Raytech Trust pays at 1.35% of the scheduled disease value. The trust was launched in 2001 with $52 million in initial funding. While the payment percentage is low, the claim is filed as part of a comprehensive trust fund strategy that typically includes multiple trusts with stronger payment percentages. Your attorney files all applicable claims simultaneously.
Auto mechanics who used multiple brands of brake linings and friction products may have claims against several trusts. Federal-Mogul (which includes Ferodo and other friction brands), Dana (which includes asbestos gasket products), and Garlock (for gasket exposure) are among the trusts that may apply to mechanics’ work histories. An experienced mesothelioma attorney will identify all applicable trusts based on the specific products present at the shops where you worked.
Raybestos was one of the dominant brake lining brands in the American market for decades, and professional mechanics who worked in auto repair from the 1940s through the 1970s very likely encountered Raybestos products regularly. Product identification for friction material claims is established through your own recollection, co-worker testimony, shop purchasing records, distributor records, and geographic market evidence. An experienced mesothelioma attorney has established methods for identifying which products were present at specific shops during specific time periods.
Raymark Industries was a successor entity to Raybestos-Manhattan that continued friction product manufacturing. Raytech Corporation succeeded Raymark. The Raytech Trust covers asbestos claims arising from all of these related entities and their products. Your attorney will review your work history to identify which specific corporate entity and time period applies to your exposure.