Qualifying for a Trust Claim

Trusts want medical proof that the illness is malignant mesothelioma. The pathology report from a biopsy is usually the central document, because it records what the tissue showed under the microscope. Supporting records such as the diagnosing doctor's notes, imaging reports and treatment records can help. If the diagnosis was made from fluid testing or during surgery, the trust will still want the report that confirms it. Keep the name of the diagnosing physician and the facility, along with the date of diagnosis, because trusts use that date for their own filing rules as well.

A general statement that you worked around asbestos is not enough for most trusts. Each trust needs evidence that you were exposed to its company's products. That can come from sworn statements about the products you used or saw, testimony from coworkers, employment records showing work at a site on the trust's approved list, or union and military records that place you in a qualifying trade and location. The more specific the evidence, the smoother the review. Details such as the building, the job, the years and the type of material make a real difference.

Many people were exposed forty or fifty years ago and no longer have pay stubs or job files. That is common, and there are ways around it. Social Security earnings records list past employers by year. Union halls may keep dispatch or membership records. Military service records can show ships, bases and job ratings. Family members sometimes remember where a parent worked or what they talked about. Writing a simple timeline, even with approximate dates, gives an attorney or claims professional a starting point for matching your history to trusts that may apply.

1. 1

   Request your Social Security earnings statement to confirm past employers and the years you worked for each.

2. 2

   Obtain the full pathology report and write down the diagnosing doctor, facility and diagnosis date.

3. 3

   List coworkers or relatives who can describe the products and job sites you worked around.

4. 4

   Ask whether any of your employers or ships appear on a trust's approved site list.