Notes Taken on a Waukegan Trip About Workers' Compensation Claims (1977)

Four pages of unsigned typed notes headed "Notes Taken on Waukegan Trip 12/8 and 12/9/77," from meetings of J-M staff handling workers' compensation claims at the Waukegan, Illinois, plant. They cover a chart of projected new cases, insurance retention, statutes of limitation, settlement approvals ($2,500 at Waukegan and Manville, $1,000 elsewhere), and lawyers on both sides. Workers with lesser X-ray findings (P1 and P2) were left off the chart because of a "low chance of claims."

What it shows

The notes record the question still open at the end of 1977: "So, when do we tell employee - when he is flagged? (Not now) - wait until is disabled - Do we start notifying earlier?" Elsewhere: "Do not move people when are flagged," "Route to go - make a lump-sum, but get him out of plant - try also to get a release," and a proposal that a worker with disease not work above the TLV of 1.2 "even if wear respirator." The same debate runs back through the 1956 Waukegan notes on telling pulmonary cases and the untold "red slip" cases of 1963.

About this copy

Page 3 of the notes is left out of the copy here because it names claimants with their conditions and settlement amounts, in records less than 50 years old. Pages 1, 2 and 4 are published.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Document entitled "Notes Taken on Waukegan Trip, December 8 and December 9, 1977." Appears to be notes of a meeting among J-M personnel responsible for coordinating workers compensation claims handling. There was discussion of a chart of projected new cases, the likely number of such claims as well as J-M's portion of liability as opposed to insurer liability. Certain legal defenses are noted, a few specific claims and worker's compensation attorneys are mentioned as well. Pl and P2 diagnoses were not included on the chart for predictive purposes because of a perceived "low chance of claims." One notation reads: "So, when do we tell employee when he is flagged? (Not now) wait until is disabled? Do we start notifying earlier? That is, tell them about benefits, WC options, etc."