Most victims of mesothelioma–a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure–in Ontario, Canada are not receiving compensation for the disease, according to a paper recently published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. The study reported that almost 1,000 of the estimated 1,500 people in Ontario diagnosed with mesothelioma between 1980 and 2002 were not provided with compensation by Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). The paper’s author charges that as a result, Ontario taxpayers are covering medical bills that should be covered by fees the WSIB charges employers to cover work-related diseases. The WSIB also refuses to compensate mesothelioma victims exposed to asbestos in the family home through a worker’s contaminated clothing or who cannot prove they were exposed to asbestos on the job for a minimum of two years. The WSIB responded that most mesothelioma victims do not apply for compensation, and that 90% who do receive compensation.
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