Absestos Verdict in New Hampshire Reversed

The New Hampshire Supreme Court has reversed a decision denying a former Anheuser-Busch brewery worker benefits after he developed an asbestos-related lung condition.

George Gamas worked at the brewery in Merrimack, New Hampshire for over two decades.

An appeals board for worker’s compensation rejected Mr. Gamas’ attempt to collect workman’s compensation benefits, stating that he had waited too long to file a complaint.

But now, the New Hampshire Supreme Court has reversed that decision, and the case will now go under review.

The Supreme Court stated that even though Mr. Gamas didn’t file his complaint until 2006, he effectively put the company on notice two years earlier when he spoke to an Anheuser-Busch lawyer for a separate civil suit.

Deadly asbestos can be found in many older buildings, lurking in pipe and boiler insulation or floor and ceiling tiles. Asbestos can break into fibers small enough to be inhaled. Asbestos inhalation has been linked to the deadly cancer mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is rare, but very aggressive. Asbestos can also cause lung cancer and asbestosis, a chronic inflammation and scarring of the lungs.

Many workers around the nation are at risk for developing asbestos related-illnesses. Professions such as mechanics, teachers, miners, and shipyard workers are at an elevated risk.