Letter to George S. Hobart on Joseph Stepka's Disability Award (1930)

A one-page letter of September 16, 1930, signed only with the initials "CLS," to George S. Hobart, a Newark lawyer, headed "In re: Joseph Stepka vs. J-M." The writer reports that J-M's insurance department had learned that Stepka "has recently been allowed a total permanent disability claim under his group life insurance policy with the Travelers," worth $2,000 paid in monthly installments. He suggests Hobart ask the Travelers "to find out on what basis this claim was allowed."

What it shows

Stepka was suing Johns-Manville at the time. The writer adds that the inquiry might make the Travelers "somewhat interested in the proposed legislation in New Jersey looking toward making asbestosis compensable." In 1930 the company was already following the claims of sick workers and the push to bring asbestosis under the state's workers' compensation law.

About this copy

The letter is signed only "CLS." The writer may have been Clarence L. Sager, a lawyer in J-M's legal department who signed J-M's July 1931 meeting minutes, but that is a guess.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Travelers approves total disability claim for Joseph Stepka under J-M's Group Life plan on 9/16/30. Correspondence suggests decision was based on diagnosis of asbestosis.

Editor's note: J-M's description says the correspondence suggests the award was based on a diagnosis of asbestosis. The letter does not give the basis of the award, and asks the lawyer to find it out.