Bath Iron Works Corp. v. United States Department of Labor

This case involved the widow of William Knight, who died from asbestos-related disease after working at Bath Iron Works Corp. The company exposed Knight to asbestos during his employment, which later caused his death. His widow filed for workers' compensation benefits, but Bath Iron Works argued her claim was filed too late under the statute of limitations. The court ruled in favor of the widow and upheld the workers' compensation benefits award. The First Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with lower courts that the claim was filed on time under what's called the "discovery rule." This rule means the time limit for filing doesn't start until the worker or their family discovers the connection between the workplace exposure and the illness or death. This decision is important for workers because it protects families dealing with occupational diseases that take years or decades to develop, like asbestos-related illnesses. Workers and their families don't lose their right to compensation simply because symptoms appeared long after the workplace exposure occurred. The ruling ensures that the statute of limitations clock starts ticking when people reasonably discover their illness was work-related, not when the original exposure happened.