Naval Research plant workers diagnosed with various cancers before 1981 are entitled to special benefits because asbestos-laced products were used for decades at the plant without employees or management being aware of the risk they faced, according to Norris Injury Lawyers.
To compensate cancer victims and the families of deceased cancer victims, federal bankruptcy courts have required asbestos manufacturers to set aside hundreds of millions of dollars in private trusts, the law firm said in a press release.
Through these trusts, cancer victims can receive money damages by the filing of timely, detailed, and accurate claims.
While asbestos is a mineral that in its natural state is harmless, it becomes harmful when it is pulled apart or ground up into flexible fibers. When inhaled or swallowed, microscopic asbestos fibers may be permanently affixed to body tissue with it taking from 10 to 40 years or more for asbestos-related cancers to appear, according to the National Cancer Institute.