Workers’ compensation claims refer to a claim filed by an employee against the employer for on-the-job asbestos exposure. In the case of asbestos, this claim is filed mainly for compensation for health problems related to exposure. However, workers’ compensation is a complicated minefield, which requires finesse and understanding of the process to navigate properly. 

For instance, by filing for workers’ compensation, a person essentially waives their right to file a lawsuit against their employer. That means it’s important to work with a competent, qualified, and experienced asbestos lawyer who can help clients understand the nuances and read in between the lines to get the compensation they deserve before closing off alternatives.










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If you may have been exposed to asbestos, even when you were a child, speak to your healthcare provider about tests and screening to help detect the presence of asbestos fibers and enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto.






















History of Workers’ Compensation and Asbestos









The history of asbestos with regardings to exposure risk and the compensation associated with this would make a conspiracy theorist’s day. By the early 1900s, there was evidence proving that asbestos could cause illness and eventually lead to death. However,  it was considered a “miracle mineral” and, thus, the profits associated with it were enormous. Therefore, companies decided to ignore the blatant evidence they had and instead sweep documentation under the rug. The status quo was maintained until the mid-1980s when the risks became widespread knowledge and they could no longer be ignored.





Asbestos company doctors were advocating for workers’ comp but companies ignored the issue in favor of profits. The use of asbestos was a major driving force behind the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, so one can imagine just how many people were exposed by the time workers’ comp was institutionalized. For a clearer understanding of just how serious the risk of asbestos was, one should know that it was the first industrial material regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after it was founded in 1970.  The fact that asbestos-related conditions have a very long latency period before symptoms manifest makes the matter even worse.













       
        
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Issues Affecting Workers’ Compensation for Asbestos Exposure









There are many factors to consider when seeking worker’s compensation. Some of these follow:





Time





One of the most critical factors to keep in mind when filing for workers’ comp is time. Before issuing compensation, a company will try to ascertain whether a claimant’s injury was present within a specific timeframe. Each state has different guidelines that govern eligibility for asbestos exposure workers’ comp, and depending on one’s medical condition, they may qualify (or fail to qualify) for funds without having to present tangible proof. For instance, mesothelioma has a higher latency period compared to other asbestos-related conditions and may not fall within the set timeframe required.





Amount of compensation





There is a set maximum for workers’ compensation payouts. Even including punitive damages, the money offered by workers’ comp may not be sufficient to cover medical bills and lost wages. Punitive damages are money awarded by the court in cases where the employer lied or hid evidence about the danger that caused harm to the employee. But, of course, a lawsuit must be filed in order to seek these damages, and not all plaintiffs are awarded punitive damages.











    

        

            

                
                    

                        
                            
“La evidencia general sugiere que no existe un nivel seguro de exposición al asbesto”.

                            
Fuente: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer
 (NIH)1

                        		
                    

                
            

        

    







Proof





Before being awarded worker’s compensation, one must usually prove that the asbestos exposure happened while on the job and that exposure definitively caused the health issues experienced. Both of these criteria are difficult to prove, especially in cases where the case is made decades after exposure, which is common.





Work records can be used to prove that an individual was working at a particular site with proven asbestos exposure or using products that contained asbestos. Similarly, medical records can be used to show that the problemas de salud were the result of asbestos exposure. However, this usually requires the patient to fall into specific symptomatic criteria or show definitive evidence of on-the-job injury.





The Helsinki criteria can be used to evaluate whether an individual developed an illness due to exposure. It shows that patients of Asbestos Related Lung Cancer (ARLC) who, on average, are older than 72 years, are more likely to be diagnosed as a result of incidental screening programs, and plaques are the most prevalent diagnosis.


























Exposición al asbesto de segunda mano (exposición secundaria al asbesto)









Incluso las familias de los trabajadores se vieron afectadas debido a la exposición indirecta: las fibras de asbesto son extremadamente duraderas y pueden adherirse a la piel y la ropa, recorriendo grandes distancias con las personas directamente expuestas.





Las fibras de asbesto no tienen sabor ni olor, y pueden ser microscópicas, por lo que es posible que no se dé cuenta de que las estaba respirando.





Desafortunadamente, muchas familias de trabajadores y otros miembros del hogar también estuvieron expuestos al asbesto, ya que el asbesto se traía a casa diariamente en los vecindarios de los EE. UU. en la ropa de trabajo.. 





Esto a menudo se conoce como exposición secundaria o exposición de segunda mano (or domestic / household family asbestos exposure). In studies of asbestos disease, 1 in 5 cases of asbestos exposure were caused by secondary asbestos exposure.2





Desafortunadamente, muchas familias de trabajadores y otros miembros del hogar también estuvieron expuestos al asbesto, ya que el asbesto se traía a casa diariamente en los vecindarios de los EE. UU. en la ropa de trabajo.





Second-hand exposure





Workers’ compensation for asbestos exposure doesn’t cover second-hand exposure. It can only be used for direct exposure in an employer-employee dynamic. Fortunately, victims of second-hand exposure may qualify for asbestos trust funds. Asbestos trusts provide more compensation and are faster and easier to handle, in general.





Statute of limitations





This limits the amount of time that can pass before a person files for workers’ compensation. Immediately after diagnosis of an asbestos-related condition, a claimant should consult with their asbestos lawyer for advice on whether it’s appropriate to file for workers’ compensation or pursue other alternatives instead. Keep in mind that the statute of limitation starts from the date of known injury. In wrongful death cases, the statute of limitations begins immediately after the date of death of a loved one.

















                    

                        

                        
                            

                                
                                    
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Alternatives to Workers’ Compensation Claims









There are several alternatives to seeking worker’s comp funds. Here are just a few:





Asbestos litigation





Asbestos litigation involves filing a lawsuit for negligence and/or failure to warn. The premise is that if a person is not aware of the dangers of something, they cannot consciously avoid the risk. This applies to direct exposure from working at asbestos companies or with asbestos products. It can also apply in cases of second-hand and third-hand, or tertiary, exposure. Asbestos litigation falls under civil law and covers healthcare costs including ongoing care, lost wages and opportunities, and physical and mental pain and suffering including the fear of developing cancer, as well as wrongful death. Asbestos litigation generally yields much higher payouts than workers’ compensation claims and may include punitive damages where necessary. However, statute of limitations applies to most cases.





Los fideicomisos de bancarrota de asbesto 





An asbestos trust is a fund set up by an asbestos company after filing for bankruptcy to pay compensation to victims of asbestos exposure. It is usually more straightforward than asbestos litigation or workers’ comp claims. The underlying requirement is that an individual proof they qualify for funds, after which they are awarded compensation based on a payment schedule, the type of asbestos-related disease incurred, and the payment percentage of the trust.











    

        

            

                
                    

                        
                            
“Por lo general, quienes desarrollan enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto no muestran signos de enfermedad durante mucho tiempo después de la exposición”.

                            
Fuente: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer
 (NIH)3

                        		
                    

                
            

        

    























The Bottom Line on Asbestos and Workers’ Compensation









Workers Compensation may be available for asbestos exposure on the job. But there are other claims as well that can be faster and provide higher compensation for occupational asbestos exposure. 





Workers’ compensation is a viable compensation method for workers who were directly exposed to asbestos while on the job. However, it’s always best to consult with an experienced asbestos attorney before filing for workers’ comp to determine whether this is the best route or an alternative option exists. 





















AsbestosClaims.Law









Para Justinian C. Lane, obtener una indemnización por las víctimas del asbesto es algo personal.





Los abuelos de Justiniano y su padre trabajaron con asbesto en su juventud y murieron de cánceres relacionados con el asbesto en sus últimos años.  





En el momento de cada una de sus muertes, nadie en la familia de Justiniano sabía que eran elegibles para presentar una demanda por asbesto y buscar una compensación de los fideicomisos de asbesto.





Debido a que nadie en la familia de Justiniano conocía sus opciones, nunca recibieron compensación alguna por la muerte de sus seres queridos. 





Si cree que su lesión o la de su familiar estuvo relacionada con la exposición al asbesto, podría tener derecho a una compensación significativa.





Este es dinero que podría usar para cubrir los costos de los servicios de remoción de asbesto, pagar el tratamiento médico y proteger de manera preventiva su bienestar físico. 





También hay fideicomisos de asbesto que ofrecen compensación mucho más rápida y fácilmente (sin presentar una demanda).





Si desea ayuda para presentar un reclamo, ponerse en contacto por correo electrónico a [email protected] 	o llámenos o envíenos un mensaje de texto al (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) o (206) 455-9190. Escucharemos su historia y le explicaremos sus opciones. Y nunca cobramos por nada a menos que reciba dinero en su bolsillo.





Además de demandas legales, discapacidad de veteranos, seguridad social y protección del empleo como compensación de trabajadores, FELA y La ley de Jones para los trabajadores marítimos, hay fideicomisos de asbesto que se han establecido para indemnizar a los perjudicados por el asbesto sin tener que presentar una demanda.





No hay riesgo ni costo para hablar con uno de nuestro personal sobre su litigio de asbesto. No hay cargos a menos que reciba dinero.





Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes adicionales relacionadas con el asbesto, visite nuestro sitio web y página de YouTube para ver videos, infografías y respuestas a sus preguntas sobre el asbesto, incluida la salud y la seguridad, prueba de asbesto, la eliminación del asbesto de su hogar y edificio, y información legal sobre la compensación por lesiones de asbesto.





Presentamos la base de datos de información sobre asbesto más grande del planeta.





W.A.R.D., que significa Worldwide Asbestos Research Database, ayuda a los clientes a reducir cuándo y dónde pueden haber estado expuestos, así como qué productos aún pueden contener asbesto.WARD también ayudará a indicar los tipos de compensación ya cuánto puede tener derecho una persona.


















Scholarly Reference: Guidotti TL. Apportionment in asbestos-related disease for purposes of compensation. Ind Health. 2002 Oct;40(4):295-311. doi: 10.2486/indhealth.40.295. PMID: 12502232.



https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ajim.22022


https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajco.13664


1 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH) Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.


2 Tompa E, Kalcevich C, McLeod C, Lebeau M, Song C, McLeod K, et al. La carga económica del cáncer de pulmón y el mesotelioma debido a la exposición ocupacional y paraocupacional al asbesto. Occup Environ Med 2017; 74: 816-22. 


3 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH) Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.