The presence of asbestos in a building could lead to serious illnesses in those who are exposed. If you or a loved one worked in a facility constructed by Burns and Roe, you may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials. If so, you could be eligible for compensation through the Burns and Roe Personal Injury Settlement Trust. An attorney at Bailey & Glasser, LLP can help you determine your eligibility and file a claim with this trust fund. Contact us for a free consultation.
Asbestos Health and Safety Risks
Asbestos is a group of silicate minerals that are naturally found in certain rocks and types of soil. Asbestos is able to resist heat, fire and corrosion, making it a popular additive in many consumer products before it became regulated by the U.S. government for public safety. In 1987, the International Agency for Research on Cancer confirmed that all six types of asbestos are carcinogenic, or cancer-causing. By this time, however, millions of asbestos-containing products had already been produced.
Asbestos Exposure Risks From Burns and Roe Buildings
Burns and Roe Enterprises is an engineering construction company that designed nuclear power plants and provided engineering work to the U.S. government. Founded in 1932, it grew into one of the largest companies for the construction of utility plants and facilities. In accordance with industry standards at the time, these facilities relied on asbestos-containing materials for their construction. While Burns and Roe did not manufacture asbestos products, it did use them in its engineering and construction jobs.
Common asbestos construction materials found in Burns and Roe buildings are:
- Insulation
- Gaskets
- Valves
- Brake parts
- Boiler parts
There is no safe level of asbestos exposure, according to the National Cancer Institute. Entering a Burns and Roe building just once could be enough to expose a victim to asbestos particles and result in harmful illnesses. However, the health risks increase with the amount that an individual is exposed to asbestos particles. This means people who worked in Burns and Roe power plants and other facilities are most at risk of developing mesothelioma and other serious illnesses.
What Is the Burns and Roe Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust?
After facing years of asbestos-related litigation, Burns and Roe had to declare bankruptcy. As part of its restructuring for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it created an asbestos trust fund to reimburse victims. The Burns and Roe Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust was founded in 2009 with $172 million in funds. This money was set aside to provide compensation to workers and their families who were injured from asbestos exposure by the company.
Who Is Eligible for the Trust?
Anyone who worked in a power plant owned by Burns and Roe could have been exposed to asbestos-containing products. Other high-risk occupations include construction workers, plumbers, engineers, architects and general contractors. The trust has an Approved Site List with over 350 confirmed locations where exposure to asbestos could have occurred. This list includes many military bases, shipyards, power plants and factories.
The long list of sites includes:
- 95 Wall St. Realty Co.
- Bell Telephone Labs
- General Foods Corp.
- Grumman Aerospace Corp.
- Indian Point Nuclear Plant
- Long Island Lighting
- New York Naval Shipyard
- Oswego Falls Corp.
- Stewart Air Force Base
- Taggart Brothers
- Union Carbide Corp.
- Worthington Corp.
If you have documentation showing that you worked at one of the sites on the approved list, the trust will not require any further details about the asbestos exposure incident. If you wish to find out if you or your family is eligible for compensation through the Burns and Roe Trust for an exposure incident, consult with our lawyers at Bailey & Glasser, LLP.
How to File a Claim With the Burns and Roe Trust
Start the filing process by familiarizing yourself with the instructions published by the Burns and Roe Trust. This document gives a step-by-step procedure on how to file a claim with this trust. You or your attorney must fill out and submit the completed Claim Form along with all of the required supporting documentation.
This documentation includes:
- Medical records showing your diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease.
- Proof of exposure to asbestos through Burns and Roe.
- Death certificate, if applicable.
- Documentation of any lost wages being claimed.
- Tax returns and/or W-2 forms for the last three years of employment, if claiming lost wages.
Once you have gathered all of the required documents, you will need to choose between an Expedited and Individual claim review process. Both have advantages and disadvantages. You should discuss which option is right for you with an attorney before filing. An attorney can assist you with the entire claims process to make things easier for you and your family.
What Compensation Is Available?
If your trust fund claim is approved, you will be paid according to the trust’s prearranged schedule and payment percentage. The Burns and Roe Trust has schedules, or specific amounts, it pays based on the disease and type of claim. With an Expedited review, the schedule values are currently set at $60,000 for mesothelioma, $30,000 for lung cancer and $25,000 for severe asbestosis.
A trust fund claim is meant to reimburse a victim of asbestos exposure for various losses, such as:
- Current and future required medical care
- Palliative or end-of-life care
- Disability accommodations
- Lost earnings or future capacity to earn
- Out-of-pocket costs, such as transportation
- Pain and suffering
- Death benefits, if applicable
Effective December 2016, the Burns and Roe Trust increased its payment percentage from 25 percent to 32 percent. This means claims are currently paid at a rate of 32 percent of their total value. This helps ensure future victims and their families will be able to access funds from the trust.
Contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP for a Free Case Review
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness and can trace your asbestos exposure back to a plant or facility constructed by Burns and Roe, contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP to request a free case review. We will look at your situation and explain all of your legal options. This may not only include a trust fund claim but also a mesothelioma lawsuit, workers’ compensation claim or another source of financial reimbursement for your serious illness.
Our attorneys will help your family secure maximum compensation for harmful asbestos exposure. Call (866) 871-7971 or contact us online today for more information.
