Insurance Company Denies 9/11 Asbestos Claims
An insurance company that covered the construction of the World Trade Center is claiming it has no responsibility to pay out asbestos claims to victims who were diagnosed with illnesses such as mesothelioma in the wake of the 9/11 attacks that destroyed the buildings.
American Home Assurance (AHA) originally issued an insurance policy to the Port Authority of New York for the World Trade Center towers in 1966 prior to their construction. When the construction eventually got underway, AHA was aware that a plastering company applied insulation that contained asbestos to columns and beams on the first 39 floors of Tower One, Courthouse News reported.
Following the 9/11 attacks, AHA and a number of companies that helped build the towers found themselves to be defendants in mesothelioma and asbestos lawsuits from New Yorkers with various asbestos diseases who claimed they had been sickened by fibers that went airborne following the buildings’ collapse.
However, after years of paying out to claims to individuals that has been sickened by the asbestos products, AHA recently alleged that they were no longer obligated to handle asbestos claims in regard to the WTC site because the insurance policy they issued was capped at $10 million per occurrence
"In general, subject to all its terms, conditions and exclusions, the policy includes a $10 million per occurrence limit for WTC asbestos claims. To date, American Home has paid in excess of $10 million to indemnify insureds in response to WTC asbestos claims. It obligations, if any, are exhausted and no coverage is available under the policy for pending WTC asbestos claims," AHA states in a claim that was recently filed in New York County Court.
While it remains to be seen how this situation will pan out, it is an example of the difficulties that a mesothelioma patient can face in the legal system while trying to get the settlement they rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos and since developed mesothelioma, call Sokolove Law today to learn more about the proper ways to pursue a mesothelioma claim.
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