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Title 20

Displaying title 20, up to date as of 10/14/2026. Title 20 was last amended 9/30/2026.
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Effect of Tort Suits Against Beryllium Vendors and Atomic Weapons Employers

§ 30.615 What type of tort suits filed against beryllium vendors or atomic weapons employers may disqualify certain claimants from receiving benefits under Part B of EEOICPA?

(a) A tort suit (other than an administrative or judicial proceeding for workers' compensation) that includes a claim arising out of a covered Part B employee's employment-related exposure to beryllium or radiation, filed against a beryllium vendor or an atomic weapons employer, by a covered Part B employee or an eligible surviving beneficiary or beneficiaries of a deceased covered Part B employee, will disqualify that otherwise eligible individual or individuals from receiving benefits under Part B of EEOICPA unless such claim is terminated in accordance with the requirements of §§ 30.616 through 30.619 of these regulations.

(b) The term “claim arising out of a covered Part B employee's employment-related exposure to beryllium or radiation” used in paragraph (a) of this section includes a claim that is derivative of a covered Part B employee's employment-related exposure to beryllium or radiation, such as a claim for loss of consortium raised by a covered Part B employee's spouse.

(c) If all claims arising out of a covered Part B employee's employment-related exposure to beryllium or radiation are terminated in accordance with the requirements of §§ 30.616 through 30.619 of these regulations, proceeding with the remaining portion of the tort suit filed against a beryllium vendor or an atomic weapons employer will not disqualify an otherwise eligible individual or individuals from receiving benefits under Part B of EEOICPA.

§ 30.616 What happens if this type of tort suit was filed prior to October 30, 2000?

(a) If a tort suit described in § 30.615 was filed prior to October 30, 2000, the claimant or claimants will not be disqualified from receiving any EEOICPA benefits to which they may be found entitled if the tort suit was terminated in any manner prior to December 28, 2001.

(b) If a tort suit described in § 30.615 was filed prior to October 30, 2000 and was pending as of December 28, 2001, the claimant or claimants will be disqualified from receiving any benefits under Part B of EEOICPA unless they dismissed all claims arising out of a covered Part B employee's employment-related exposure to beryllium or radiation that were included in the tort suit prior to December 31, 2003.

§ 30.617 What happens if this type of tort suit was filed during the period from October 30, 2000 through December 28, 2001?

(a) If a tort suit described in § 30.615 was filed during the period from October 30, 2000 through December 28, 2001, the claimant or claimants will be disqualified from receiving any benefits under Part B of EEOICPA unless they dismiss all claims arising out of a covered Part B employee's employment-related exposure to beryllium or radiation that are included in the tort suit on or before the last permissible date described in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) The last permissible date is the later of:

(1) April 30, 2003; or

(2) The date that is 30 months after the date the claimant or claimants first became aware that an illness of the covered Part B employee may be connected to his or her exposure to beryllium or radiation covered by EEOICPA. For purposes of determining when this 30-month period begins, “the date the claimant or claimants first became aware” will be deemed to be the date they received either a reconstructed dose from NIOSH, or a diagnosis of a covered beryllium illness, as applicable.

[71 FR 78534, Dec. 29, 2006, as amended at 84 FR 3053, Feb. 8, 2019]

§ 30.618 What happens if this type of tort suit was filed after December 28, 2001?

(a) If a tort suit described in § 30.615 was filed after December 28, 2001, the claimant or claimants will be disqualified from receiving any benefits under Part B of EEOICPA if a judgment is entered against them.

(b) If a tort suit described in § 30.615 was filed after December 28, 2001 and a judgment has not yet been entered against the claimant or claimants, they will also be disqualified from receiving any benefits under Part B of EEOICPA unless, prior to entry of any judgment, they dismiss all claims arising out of a covered Part B employee's employment-related exposure to beryllium or radiation that are included in the tort suit on or before the last permissible date described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(c) The last permissible date is the later of:

(1) April 30, 2003; or

(2) The date that is 30 months after the date the claimant or claimants first became aware that an illness of the covered Part B employee may be connected to his or her exposure to beryllium or radiation covered by EEOICPA. For purposes of determining when this 30-month period begins, “the date the claimant or claimants first became aware” will be deemed to be the date they received either a reconstructed dose from NIOSH, or a diagnosis of a covered beryllium illness, as applicable.

[71 FR 78534, Dec. 29, 2006, as amended at 84 FR 3053, Feb. 8, 2019]

§ 30.619 Do all the parties to this type of tort suit have to take these actions?

The type of tort suits described in § 30.615 may be filed by more than one individual, each with a different cause of action. For example, a tort suit may be filed against a beryllium vendor by both a covered Part B employee and his or her spouse, with the covered Part B employee claiming for chronic beryllium disease and the spouse claiming for loss of consortium due to the covered Part B employee's exposure to beryllium. However, since the spouse of a living covered Part B employee could not be an eligible surviving beneficiary under Part B of EEOICPA, the spouse would not have to comply with the termination requirements of §§ 30.616 through 30.618. A similar result would occur if a tort suit were filed by both the spouse of a deceased covered Part B employee and other family members (such as children of the deceased covered part B employee). In this case, the spouse would be the only eligible surviving beneficiary of the deceased covered Part B employee under Part B of the EEOICPA because the other family members could not be eligible for benefits while he or she was alive. As a result, the spouse would be the only party to the tort suit who would have to comply with the termination requirements of §§ 30.616 through 30.618.

§ 30.620 How will OWCP ascertain whether a claimant filed this type of tort suit and if he or she has been disqualified from receiving any benefits under Part B of EEOICPA?

Prior to authorizing payment on a claim under Part B of EEOICPA, OWCP will require each claimant to execute and provide an affidavit stating if he or she filed a tort suit (other than an administrative or judicial proceeding for workers' compensation) against either a beryllium vendor or an atomic weapons employer that included a claim arising out of a covered Part B employee's employment-related exposure to beryllium or radiation, and if so, the current status of such tort suit. OWCP may also require the submission of any supporting evidence necessary to confirm the particulars of any affidavit provided under this section.