Asbestos History
Asbestos, a very toxic mineral was once used abundantly in the creation of materials that needed to be fireproof: heating and cooling appliances, brakes, flooring tiles, even popcorn ceilings. And it is still used today.
Before it was known that the tiny fibers could flake off and hook themselves into your lungs and develop into cancer, it was widely used in the construction and development of tools and building materials for decades. Eventually, the front-line workers who had been exposed to the toxic dust during employment began developing diseases like lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma, and asbestosis among others. Their families at home too as the dust was transferred from clothing.
Researchers went to work, discovered the mineral’s carcinogenic properties, asbestos was banned for most uses, and the companies responsible for exposing their employees began receiving legal attention. The companies with the most liability started being sought out by lawsuits and these companies started filing for bankruptcy.
To make sure that future lawsuits were covered, these companies set up trust funds to compensate those affected who filed a legal claim.
Who Can File a Trust Fund Claim?
To file a claim, you need to have been exposed to asbestos while working on the job and have developed lung cancer or other related illness.
The asbestos in the company where the person worked needs to be tied to a company that has set up a trust fund.
And the person needs to be able to prove that their exposure to asbestos happened while they were working for the company in question.
There is also a time limit to how long you have to file a claim that differs from state to state and between the different trust funds.
Jobs with High Risk Exposure
People who worked in the following industries and their families at home were at risk of high exposure:
| Industrial Settings Steel Mills Refineries Paper Mills Power Plants Shipyard or Navy Personel Heavy Manufacturing |
Industrial Occupations Pipe or Steam Fitter Machinist or Mate Boilermaker Furnace or Kiln Operator Insulator Laborer Maintenance Personell |
Independent Contractors for the following: Any Insulating Company US Steel Marathon Oil Shell Oil Caterpillar International Harvester General Electric / Westinghouse Commonwealth Edison Tidewater Construction Paul J. Krez Construction Iowa Illinois Taylor Insulation Union Carbide |
More Information
There are several online resources with more information
