Claims Without a Known Employer

Your Social Security earnings record lists the employers who reported wages for you, year by year. It often reveals jobs people have forgotten, including short stints and summer work. For each employer, the record shows a name and sometimes an identification number that can help researchers find out what the company did and where it operated. You can request a detailed statement from the Social Security Administration. Once you have it, walk through each year and add any details you remember, such as the town, the type of work and anyone you worked with.

If you belonged to a union, its dispatch and pension records may show where you were sent and when. Coworkers can be even more valuable. They may remember the job sites, the materials used and who else was there. Retiree groups, union halls and social media groups for former employees can help you reconnect. Family members may recall stories you told about work, or have photos and letters that mention specific places. Each recollection helps investigators narrow down where exposure may have happened and which products were present. Write each memory down as soon as it comes to you.

Over decades of asbestos litigation, attorneys and researchers have compiled detailed information about many job sites, including which asbestos products were used there. Bankruptcy trusts also keep lists of approved sites. Once your work history identifies a location, this existing information can help link it to specific manufacturers. This is why even a partial work history is worth sharing. A town name and a type of facility may be enough for investigators to identify the site and the products used there. Share old maps, business cards or directions you remember, since small details like these can help researchers confirm a location.

1. 1

   Request a detailed earnings statement from the Social Security Administration.

2. 2

   Write down every town where you worked, even if you've forgotten the employer's name.

3. 3

   Contact your union local, if you had one, and ask for dispatch and pension records.

4. 4

   Ask family members to share any photos, letters or stories about your past jobs.