Canada Sees Huge Rise in Asbestos Claims

October 10, 2006 - Canadian officials report that asbestos-related claims have risen dramatically and will continue to do so throughout the next few decades.  As a matter of fact, according to Fergus Kerr, director of the Occupational Disease and Survivor Benefit program, more than five times the number of asbestos claims were filed this year than last.

“We allowed 90 claims last year for mesothelioma,” Kerr says. “It is our projection that it will continue to increase.”

Northern Ontario Business e-zine reports that the average claim for mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused only by asbestos exposure, is approximately $500,000.  “The high price tag on the claims is attributed to the latency period of the illness (anywhere from 10 to 40 years) and the type of illness,” according to the article.

Kerr describes mesothelioma as “probably the nastiest way to die, as it is a lingering death.” 

“Essentially, you drown in your own body, because it affects the pleural, the lining of the heart and lungs,” he says. “It is incurable.”

Kerr adds that many of the claims are from the survivors of mesothelioma victims who’ve already died, as the disease is usually not diagnosed until its late stages. 

The large number of mesothelioma victims in Canada can largely be attributed to the asbestos mines that have been in operation in Quebec since the early 1900s, reaching their peak in the 50s and 60s. Today, despite worldwide bans on this hazardous substance, there are still three asbestos-producing mines in Quebec province.