The American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) began using asbestos in its products in the 1950s. It opened what became one of the largest asbestos mines in the world in Southern Quebec and distributed asbestos-containing products through a subsidiary. If you or a loved one worked for ASARCO and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP for a free consultation. You may be eligible for financial compensation from the ASARCO Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust.
What Are the Dangers of Asbestos Exposure?
Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals that have all been confirmed as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer that originates in the mesothelium. When asbestos fibers become lodged in the mesothelial tissues, they can cause enough damage and scarring to eventually develop cancerous tumors.
Mesothelioma is a terminal type of cancer with an average life expectancy of 12 to 21 months with treatment, according to the National Library of Medicine. Other serious illnesses connected to asbestos exposure include a chronic lung disease known as asbestosis, lung cancer, pleural effusion, pleural plaques and pleural thickening. These diseases can lead to respiratory problems, shortness of breath, a persistent cough and chest pain, among other symptoms.
ASARCO’s History of Asbestos Use
ASARCO was once the largest refinery of nonferrous metals in the world. It owned multiple mines and refineries across the globe. The company went into debt and began using asbestos to increase its profits in 1952. Its subsidiary, Lake Asbestos of Quebec, was a two-mile lake in Southern Quebec that was turned into an open-pit asbestos mine – one of the largest in the world.
The mine in Quebec supplied around 100,000 tons of asbestos each year and increased the world’s supply of asbestos by approximately 7 percent. In 1974, ASARCO acquired CAPCO, a producer of asbestos cement and other asbestos products. At one point, CAPCO was the sole producer of asbestos cement pipe (under the brand name Permaft ex Uaterpipe). CAPCO continued to use asbestos in its products until 1993.
High-Risk Individuals for ASARCO Asbestos Exposure
The two main sources of asbestos exposure connected to ASARCO are its asbestos mine in Canada and the production of asbestos cement pipes through its subsidiary CAPCO. Anyone who was employed by ASARCO to work in its mines (raw asbestos miners) or CAPCO employees who were involved in any part of the production process may have been exposed to asbestos.
Individuals in high-risk occupations for asbestos exposure from ASARCO include:
- Blasters
- Drillers
- Electricians
- Engineers
- Factory workers
- Laborers
- Machinists
- Mechanics
- Miners
- Pipefitters
- Plant workers
- Smelters
- Supervisors
- Truck drivers
ASARCO/CAPCO workers are not the only people at risk of being exposed to asbestos; anyone who came into contact with a worker after a shift or laundered the worker’s clothing could also be at risk due to secondary exposure. If any asbestos fibers or particles traveled home on the worker’s clothes, shoes or hair, others in the household may have been exposed.
What Is the ASARCO Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust?
CAPCO was named in asbestos litigation in the early 1980s and ASARCO began facing lawsuits in the late 1990s. By 2005, these asbestos lawsuits forced ASARCO to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of this filing, ASARCO established an asbestos trust fund in 2009 to continue compensating victims of asbestos exposure.
The year before the ASARCO Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust was established, the company faced 95,000 asbestos-related lawsuits. Today, ASARCO still receives thousands of personal injury claims for exposing victims to asbestos. The trust was originally funded with $830 million in assets. The payment percentage was originally set at 22 percent for most claims but has since been increased to 35 percent.
What Types of Compensation Are Available?
The ASARCO Asbestos Settlement Trust sets payment schedules for different levels of injury. The highest is mesothelioma (Level VIII) at $170,000. The lowest is “other asbestos disease” (Level I) at $400. Other payment schedules include $50,000 for severe asbestosis and $60,000 for lung cancer.
The compensation available through the trust can help a victim pay for various losses, including:
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost capacity to earn
- Long-term disability
- Pain and suffering
- Death benefits, if applicable
An approved claim will be paid based on the current payment percentage established by the trust. Some payouts may be greater, however, due to factors such as a claimant’s age and asbestos exposure type. Victims of ASARCO asbestos exposure may also be eligible for greater compensation through a mesothelioma lawsuit. Discuss your legal options with an attorney at Bailey & Glasser, LLP for more information.
How Do I File a Claim With the ASARCO Asbestos Settlement Trust?
There is a specific process for filing a claim with the ASARCO asbestos trust. The Claim Form, which can be downloaded from the trust’s website, must be filled out and filed. Supporting documents must be submitted along with the Claim Form. These documents may include medical records showing an official asbestos-related diagnosis from a physician and proof of working for ASARCO/CAPCO or being exposed to one of their asbestos products.
The Claim Form and supporting documentation can be submitted one of multiple ways:
- Bulk electronic submission through the trust’s online filing system: https://trust.verusllc.com
- Hard copy mailed to: ASARCO Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust C/O Verus Claims Services, LLC, 3967 Princeton Pike, Princeton, NJ 08540
- Email the documents to: [email protected]
There are two different types of asbestos trust fund claim review processes: expedited and individual. The expedited review process is faster, while the individual review requires more time and effort but could result in a greater payment. Incomplete submissions will result in a longer claims processing time and may lead to a rejected claim. A mesothelioma attorney can assist you with the entire claims and documentation process.
Get Help With Your ASARCO Asbestos Trust Claim | Contact Us
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another illness related to asbestos exposure from ASARCO, contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP for a free case consultation. Our lawyers will review your case and help you understand your legal rights. If you are eligible for financial compensation through the ASARCO Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust, our team of asbestos attorneys can guide you through the claims process. Call (866) 871-7971 for a free case review.