C. L. Sheckler to C. H. Grote and L. Hemerda on Trying Manville Occupational Disease Claims (1964)

A two-page confidential memo of May 13, 1964, from C. L. Sheckler at Johns-Manville's General Headquarters to C. H. Grote and L. Hemerda at the Manville, New Jersey, plant about a wave of occupational disease claims. "There is no doubt that group filing has become a reality," Sheckler wrote, most of the claims coming from Textile employees in the Weaving and Twisting Department, and he referred to "this current harassment." He proposed curtailing the claims "by beginning full trials of most O.D. claims that are filed," done "quietly and with no publicity whatsoever," in the hope of backlogging the courts so that they would put pressure on the claimants' attorneys.

What it shows

Sheckler also wrote that the IH 54 forms then being processed "will have no recommendation for physical examinations or claim handling procedures" until the company had decided whether the cases would be tried. If asked why it was no longer settling ("streamlining") cases, J-M "will just advise that we feel a settlement is not justified." The memo followed Grote's report of May 6 on the rise in claims, and on the same day Sheckler advised holding back the usual offer of help to a Manville worker newly found to have early asbestosis.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

Sheckler memorandum to C.H. Grote (Manville) and L. Hemerda (Manville) dated 5/13/64 states that group filing of occupational disease claims has become a reality, with the majority of them being filed by Textile employees from the Weaving and Twisting Department. Sheckler wants to set up a meeting to review each pending occupational disease claim.

While Sheckler is not confident that J-M can completely solve this problem, he believes it can curtail the problem considerably by beginning full trials of most O.D. claims that are filed. But if this is done, it should be done quietly and with no publicity. By proceeding this way, Sheckler hopes to create a backlog in the courts which would cause the courts to put pressure on the petitioners' attorneys as well as consume extensive petitioner-attorney time in trying cases.

Related documents

• C. H. Grote to R. M. King and Others on a Rise in Occupational Disease Claims at Manville (1964)