Document VG1dMn74kdnqOZy2av50qJJng

FILE NAME: Metropolitan Life (ML) DATE: 1935 Oct 19 DOC#: ML082 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to Dr. McConnell, Met Life from Raybestos-Manhattan President RE Asbestos Dust at North Charleston Plant and Asbestosis Coverage  Must** ./*'V'/ - - B rid g e p o rt, Conn, October 19, 1955 D r. 15;. J . M c C o n n e ll, A s s ' t . In d u stria l H ealth Sectio n , M etropolitan life In s u r a n c e How l a r k C i t y , M edical C o ., D irector, My dea* L:r , iU'C u n u a.II; StfBJECS: Asbestos Duet at North Charleston P la n t, As you kr o?;, our yuan l a t North Che r io :-to n , as v e i l os the o th er D iv i s io n s , ha.? been working w ith your Company fo r a lo n g tim e in t h e a c q u ir in g o f in fo r m a lie n , m edical and o th e r w is e , re g a rd in g A ston v-us Duct hn.tnrcis and As bo sto s i s . he hnvo had a number o f s u i t s , us you are av?are, fo r which you have a s s is t e d un to p re p a re , and a t the; l a s t t r i a l , your Mr. `V n u e i t e s t i f i e c . Wc have depend';! on y cur Company to present c e r ta in in form ation th at our a tto rn e y , Mr. Ju lia n M itc h e ll, o f C h a r le s to n , f>. C , , . d e s ir e d , end we vere- s ta n d s till to kr.cn'. what to cio and cu rry on v i t i : tkv.nc s u i t s , fo r I a g a in say v.e had depended on y o u r Company' s .* D ke**1-i 4** lr/x<X**a*-, *V* { *4S v4itef.i r ` 1 ^ t f y fVtV' iVt HU'tr .In Un v e ry much u p s e t l a s t weak when ' i* ^VAV*te. ' * A 'M i 'i " .. ' a, that we could n ot e xp ect any c o u r t a s s is ta n c e from your departm ent, due to orders you had rece iv e d from your su p e rio rs, We im m ed iately wenti-d to have you t a lk over the s it u a t io n w ith h r . M i t c h e l l , to so* what he could c c , and when of they gor i n to.toh w i t h uo and asked , ^ . T +n ` r"*O''** '-f ubpoona- in g Mr. F c h c e i , I t o ld them { ` n < t"! s*. ly t h a t i t looked to me if th a t was the only tilin g at- could d o , i f v;e were goin g vto have the h elp o f M r. F eh n el in tu^se p a r t ic u la r ly im portant, c a s e s . I t may lo o k odd to you t h a t t h i s subpoena v.as se rv e d , but r e a lly th e re was n o th in g e ls e f o r us to c o , and I co u ld not sen .tuy other way out under the c ir c u m s ta n c e s , a ft e r Mr. M itc h e ll had pointed out v-hat i t was goin g to mean to him to have H r. Fohrc-1 th e r e . I do hope you wi.1.1 take t h i s in t o c o n s id e r a tio n and t h a t the a s s i s t ance o f Mr. Fokuel w ill be given us very c h e e r fu lly , I can r e c o g n is e the- p o s i t in ', of the in su ran ce com pany in t e s t ify in g in ordinary cases o f th is k in d , but as I see i t , th e s e p a r t ic u la r c a se s o f ours a t C h a rle sto n r e a l l y come in to a d iffe re n t category. We c a r r ie d Com sensation and H ealth In su ran ce with your Company when th e s e s u i t s ra re f i r s t brought up a t C h a r le s to n , and o f c o u r s e , under th e p o l i c i e s , vu were not covered a g a in s t damage s u it s fo r A s b o s to s is . * r- . The Metropolitan Insurance Co., nor no other insurance company in th United states, had any data that v/ns worth very much on Asbestos Tust or Asbestosis, and naturally your Company wanted health statistics and information regarding Asbestos Dust on the lungs. Our Company wns more than willing to cooperate with . you, and w e also Induced Johns-Man ville to cooperate, end your Company started with a Dust Survey of a number of the esbe*sto3 plants. Y.hen your appropriation for tnis work .ran out, you request- ed that It bo carried on unt'l r nev.' appropriation uoulti jo secured by your Company, and v/e did so. Later on, we hired a man, Mr. Binder to work under your control, but at the expense of Johns-lianville and ourselves. This .11 led us to believe that under the conditions, we would have your assistance in trying these unfair suits, which would eventually be a benefit to you, and also have considerable bearing on the Dust racket, about which so much has been published lately, I feel ns if your Company has not taker. into consideration all these various factors when vanning down our request for Mr. Fohnel's pres ence at the trials ir. Chari**aton Mr. Fehnei being the only man who has been following the details of the AsbestosDust through all its various ramifications* Naturally, if wo could have fores-.cri the attitude the Metropolitan Insurance Co.Menieal Department would take at this late date, we would have hired a specialist and. he would have had all the a.,t,u v/.hicb your Company now has, -mo as you know, we have spent large sums to make the Charleston Plant an ideal one, with your assistance. I do not believe that by Mr, iuhnol testliylng at Char leston; it will establish a precedent, ns it is hardly likely you will have this t.yj of case cerne up again for a.uriy years, and I am also cert1*3tin it i; /cry questionable if you will get the rame amount of assis t:' 3 fiom any tv/c companies that you have boon getting from Johans-M; /Ilie and ourselves, arid moreover, it was our Intention to draw; in other asbestos companies in this survey a soon ar- the tino was right to bring thorn in, and this would mean a tremendous; amount of information n Asbestos Dust and Asbestosis in the posso;;si.cn of the Metropolitan Insurance Co., who would be the only ones in tho United State-s, so far ns we know, having this in formation. your _ . :'ully and thoroughly, ano. J. hope to be able to do so next Tuesday. Unfortunately, I shall be away the latter part of this week. Oowrf--r\ Very truly yours, President