Claimant Relations | 800.708.8925
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Administrative Hold | A temporary hold placed on a claim by the Trust until a specific issue is resolved. |
| Awaiting Document Tank | Claims are placed in this tank when a document is uploaded but is yet to be received in Trust Online. Once this document is received, the claim will be placed in its proper queue. |
| Certificate of Official Capacity (COC) | The purpose of the COC is to verify that the personal representative has the authority to file a claim on behalf of the injured party. |
| Checked Out By | Individual at the facility currently processing the claim. |
| Checked Out Date | The date that the claim was checked out by an individual at the facility. |
| Claim Number | The claim number assigned and referenced by the Trust. |
| Claim Status | A status is assigned to each claim, determined by where the claim is in the review process. A claim’s status will change as it goes through the review process. Trust Online users can view the status of a claim at any time. |
| Claim Status by Trust Report | This report provides the user with a PDF, CSV or Excel file that displays a list of all claims submitted to the trust grouped by claim status. The information provided include the Claim #, Firm File #, Full Name, the last four digits of the SSN and Attorney Name. |
| Claims Under Edit Report | This report provides the user with a CSV file that displays a list of claims that are currently being edited by the law firm. The information provided includes the Trust, Claim Number, Account User (editing the claim), Account Name, Account Email, Firm Name, Attorney, Edit Date (start date), Linked, Status, Queue and Firm File Number. |
| Claimant | The individual or law firm who filed the claim. |
| Current Queue | Current storage place for the claim depending upon its status, deficiencies, and/or activity codes. Generally, if a claim is in a queue, it is waiting to be processed by the Trust. If the claim’s Current Queue is in a specific tank (e.g., Mailroom Tank), the Trust is awaiting a response from the Firm. |
| Date Received | Date that the Trust received the claim. |
| Deferral | An option to file a claim, but to put on hold and not be processed at that time. |
| Deficient Claim | The claim is missing information or documentation that is required by the Trust. |
| Deficiency Code | The codes generated to send notices about missing information or documentation. |
| Deficiency Report | This report provides the user with a PDF, CSV or Excel file that displays a list of standard deficiencies grouped by attorneys. The information provided in the detailed report includes the Claim Number, Firm File #, Last Name, First Name, last four digits of the SSN, Pending Paperwork and Claim Status. |
| Draft | Draft claims are not considered filed and the Statute of Limitations has not been tolled until submitted. |
| Duplicate Claim | A claim received by the Trust that matches another claim for the same injured party, which already appears in the DII Silica database. The Trust can process only one claim per injured party for a single injury. Duplicate claims are placed on duplicate hold until the issue is resolved. |
| Electronic Filer Agreement | To access DII Silica Trust on Trust Online, the user registers with the Trust by executing the Electronic Filer Agreement that governs the terms of the user's access. |
| Evaluated Injury | Medically confirmed injury. |
| FIFO | When a claim form is submitted to the Trust, it is assigned an order for processing called First-In-First-Out, or FIFO. |
| Hold | A temporary hold placed on a claim by the Trust until a specific issue is resolved. |
| ILO | The acronym stands for International Labor Organization. For the Trust's purpose, it refers to the system for classifying chest x-rays. The system provides a simple method for evaluating chest x-rays with abnormalities caused by the inhalation of al types of dust, including silica. |
| Injured Person/Party | The individual who was directly injured due to exposure to silica. |
| Intake Deficient | Occurs when a claim is missing basic Intake information, such as a Social Security number or an alleged injury. |
| Interstitial | The tissue between the air sacs of the lung. |
| Last Review Date | The most recent date that the claim was reviewed by the Trust. |
| Law Firm Address Change | When a law firm has changed its address, the Trust must be notified in writing. Electronic mail is not acceptable. |
| Law Firm Name Change | When a law firm changes its name, the Trust must be notified in writing. A partner's signature is required on the law firm’s letterhead. Electronic mail is not acceptable. |
| Lung Cancer | A malignancy occurring when cells in the lung start to grow rapidly in an uncontrolled manner. Silica exposure combined with cigarette smoking greatly increases the risks of lung cancer. |
| Offer Issued | The release has been issued. |
| Paid Amount | The total amount paid on all claim settlements. |
| Paid Claim | The claim payment has been issued. |
| Payment Extract Report | This report provides the user with a CSV file that displays a list of paid claims for a specific date range and trust. The information provided in the report includes the Trust, Firm Name, Attorney Name, Claim Number, Claimant Name, Payment Date, Principal Amount, Sequence Adjustment Amount and the Firm File Number. |
| Payment Percentage | The percentage of the full liquidated value that all present and future claims are likely to receive for both Individual Review and Expedited Review claims, subject to review and recalculation by the Trustees on an annual basis. |
| Personal Representative | The person recognized, through a legal document or COC, as the representative of the injured person's claim. |
| Place in Queue | The field located on the Claim Summary screen in Trust Online that displays the number of claims ahead of your claim in the Review or Re-Review Queue. |
| Place In Queue Report | This report provides the user with a PDF, CSV or Excel file that displays a list of claims that are in the Review and Re-Review Queues with their respective 'Place In Queue' number. This report which is grouped by status includes the Attorney Name, Claim #, Firm File #, Injury, Process Option, Injured Party, the last four digits of the SSN Place In Queue and Received Date. |
| Primary Counsel | The lawyer who files silica personal injury claims on behalf of his/her clients ("Claimants"). |
| Pro Se Claimant | An individual who has filed or intends to file an silica personal injury claim on his/her own behalf without representation of counsel. |
| Quartz | Crystalline silicon dioxide (SiO2) that is not chemically combined with other substances and has a distinctive physical structure. It is a very hard mineral found worldwide in various types of rocks including granite and sandstone. |
| Ready for Re-Review | The claim is pending re-review based on the Trust's First-In-First-Out (FIFO) order. |
| Ready to Review | The claim is pending initial medical and exposure review based on the Trust's First-In-First-Out (FIFO) order. |
| Release | The legal document offering settlement of the claim. |
| Release Deficiency | The returned release is missing basic information, such as required signatures, and a letter is sent to the claimant advising of the deficiency. |
| Representation Issue | An injured party can have only one representative. More than one creates a representation issue and the claim is placed on an administrative hold. |
| Review | Status of a claim meaning that the claim is in the review process. |
| Review Deficient | When a claim is missing information that is required by the Trust to confirm it either medically or for exposure, such as an unacceptable diagnosis or no occupation listed. |
| Second Disease Claims | The holder of a PI Trust Claim involving a non-malignant silica-related disease (Disease Levels I–II) may assert a new PI Trust Claim against the PI Trust for a malignant disease (Disease Levels III–IV) that is subsequently diagnosed. Any additional payments to which such claimant may be entitled with respect to such malignant silica-related disease shall not be reduced by the amount paid for the non-malignant silica-related disease, provided that the malignant disease had not been diagnosed by the time the claimant was paid with respect to the original claim involving the non-malignant disease. The holder of a PI Trust Claim involving a Disease Level I, or II claim may assert a new PI Trust Claim against the PI Trust for a Disease Level III or Disease Level IV claim that is subsequently diagnosed. Any additional payments to which such claimant may be entitled with respect to such subsequent claim shall be reduced by the amount paid for the prior claim. |
| Silica | A crystalline compound, used to manufacture materials including concrete and glass. This white or colorless mineral compound is composed of one silicon atom and two oxygen atoms. |
| Silicosis | An incurable lung disease caused by continued inhalation of dust containing free crystalline silica. It is characterized by progressive lung fibrosis (scar tissue formation) and is one of the oldest known occupational disease. The lung tissue reacts to the crystalline silica particles by developing fibrotic nodules and scarring around them. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, weakness, weight loss, and respiratory failure. Silicosis can also be classified as Severe Silicosis or Complex Silicosis on a Silica PI Trust Claim. |
| Statute of Limitations | The deadline for filing a claim with the Trust based on the TDP, as well as the claimant's applicable jurisdiction. |
| Status | The claim review process that the Trust follows, beginning with Ready to Review and ending with Paid claim status. |
| Trust Distribution Procedures (TDP) | The plan designed to provide prompt payment to valid Silica Personal Injury Claims and provide reasonable assurance that the Trust will value and be in a financial position to pay similar and present Silica Injury Claims and Future Silica Injury demands in substantially the same manner. |
| Withdrawn Claim | The claimant has the option to withdraw the claim. Written notification from the claimant is required requesting withdrawal. |