Corporations that manufactured asbestos products have poisoned millions of men and women.
石棉, a strong and heat-resistant mineral, was made into products such as insulation, 垫圈, 水泥, 汽车刹车, 和地砖. It was widely used by the steel, glass, and chemical industries. 另外, it was used in insulation that was used at oil refineries, 发电厂, 船厂, 和铁路. 石棉 fibers are virtually indestructible. They do not evaporate into air or dissolve in water. They do not deteriorate over time.
In addition to mandating benefits for workers who are involved in on-the-job accidents, the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act also covers occupational diseases such as diseases caused by continuous exposure to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products. 石棉-related diseases are latent injury diseases: They gradually develop over a period of years after exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing products. Once a worker has been diagnosed, a workers’ compensation claim can be filed against the employer for whom the claimant was working the last time he/she was exposed to the hazards of asbestos.
The North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act provides several remedies for a worker who is injured by asbestos. There is a separate statutory framework for claimants diagnosed with asbestosis:
When a worker is diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, benefits available to him/her will depend on his/her current medical status. If the worker is currently disabled from his/her lung condition, payment of weekly compensation may be available.
Workers who are diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness may be eligible to receive up to $20,000 per lung for permanent damage to an important internal organ.
Sometimes asbestos exposure can cause the development of life-threatening diseases such as lung cancer or mesothelioma. In the unfortunate event that an asbestos-related disease causes the death of a worker, 然后残疾, 死亡的好处, and funeral expenses may be available to the worker and/or his dependents or next of kin.
Payment of disability benefits or 死亡的好处 is based on 66 2/3 % of the average weekly wage the worker earned at the time of the last injurious exposure.
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease or believe you were exposed to asbestos and/or asbestos-containing products at any point in your work history, please contact one of our asbestos workers’ compensation attorneys today to discuss your options.
- Workers’ Compensation
- Workers’ Compensation Frequently Asked Questions
- 石棉 Frequently Asked Questions
- Recent Cases of 石棉
- Do you have mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease?
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