Ship Painter Gets PPD Award, Fees Under LHWCA for Respiratory Ailments

A federal appellate court upheld an award of partial disability benefits and attorney fees to a ship painter under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act for his respiratory ailments. Calvin Chaffers worked as a ship painter for Jeffboat Inc. at a shipyard in Jeffersonville, Indiana. According to Chaffers, his work exposed him to fumes and particles from toxic paints, paint thinner, antifreeze, welding, gouging, sandblasting and charcoal slag abrasive products. After he was laid off in 2017, Chaffers filed a claim with the Department of Labor, seeking benefits under th...