Asbestos plaintiffs can seek damages in two independent compensation systems: by filing tort claims against solvent defendants and by filing claims with any of the dozens of asbestos bankruptcy trusts established under section 524(g) of the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Code. These trusts, typically set up by plaintiffs’ attorneys after a defendant enters bankruptcy, exist to compensate injured workers or the families of deceased workers alleging asbestos exposure.

California Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) has introduced and sponsored Assembly Bill No. 597, the Asbestos Tort Claim Trust Transparency Act, which if passed would require asbestos plaintiffs to disclose all asbestos bankruptcy trust claim documents in asbestos tort actions.