The bankruptcy trusts are created by plaintiff lawyers, who negotiate prepackaged bankruptcy deals that relieve companies of their asbestos liabilities while creating a streamlined process for paying claims.

FORBES: Magazine Article

This type of payout doomed most of the companies that made or handled asbestos, since it allowed lawyers to process tens of thousands of claims by workers with smoking-related and naturally caused diseases and overwhelm trusts established to pay for asbestosis and mesothelioma.

FORBES: BP Settles With Plaintiff Lawyers, Pegs Cost At $7.8 Billion