THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 29, 1994 TAG: 9412290380
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: MIDDLETOWN, CONN. LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Wednesday, three days before a deadline, Vietnam veterans who were sprayed with Agent Orange flooded an insurance company with calls to claim their share of a $21 million injury-compensation fund.
Saturday is the last day to apply for payment from the Agent Orange Settlement Fund, administered by Aetna Insurance Co. and supported by seven chemical companies.
Ten years ago, Vietnam veterans and their families settled a class-action lawsuit against the makers of the toxic chemical for $184 million.
Veterans started receiving checks in 1989.
The Saturday deadline to apply for the money was set by U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein, who ruled that those covered by the 1984 settlement included people who had not yet become ill.
About 39,000 veterans and their families have received money from the fund, which is supported by Dow Chemical, Uniroyal, Monsanto, Hercules, Agricultural Nutrition, Diamond Shamrock and Thompson Chemical.
Nearly 28,000 claims have been denied.
About $21 million has not yet been claimed. If more veterans do not come forward, the money will be distributed to those who already have put in claims.
Survivors of veterans can receive from $340 to $3,400 total.
Disabled veterans who apply can get between $256 and $12,800.
Veteran Byron Lloyd hopes to receive his share for injuries he claims are related to his two years in Vietnam, including intestinal and bladder diseases.
Lloyd, of Tampa, Fla., said he sent in his application Tuesday, after hearing about the fund last week from his brother, a disabled vet.
``It's too bad there's a cutoff period,'' he said.
During the war, U.S. military aircraft sprayed the vegetation-destroying chemical over the land to make it difficult for enemy soldiers to hide and find food.
The U.S. vets said the chemical caused cancer and other illnesses and produced birth defects in their children.
Only veterans disabled by disease who served in Vietnam from 1961 to 1971 and can show they were exposed to Agent Orange during their tour of duty are eligible. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
TO MAKE A CLAIM
Aetna will accept telephone inquiries about the fund from 8 a.m.
to 8 p.m. through Saturday, and applications must be postmarked no
later than midnight Saturday. The phone number to reach the program
is 1-800-225-4712. Applications also may be requested by fax at
203-636-0444.
KRT Illustration
Agent Orange Compensation
Diseases officially limked to Agent Orange
Symptoms of possible contamination
[for copy of illustration, see microfilm.]
KEYWORDS: AGENT ORANGE VIETNAM VETERAN VETERAN CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT by CNB