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Mines exist far below the Colorado Plateau, and for decades American Indians have made a living by working in those mines. Working in these mines means running drills that will gouge out the yellow uranium ore from the rocks. The uranium that thousands of American Indians dug from the earth went into nuclear warheads credited with helping America win the Cold War. To get a closer look on personal injury solicitor visit this site.

 

Yet, a great number of these very miners became victims of the Cold War. Most have either died or are dying from cancers and other illnesses as a direct result of their exposure to the uranium radiation inside the mines. Survivors are literally fighting for their lives after losing family members to complications of the radiation exposure.

 

Dialysis treatments leave numerous scars of the arms of nearly all of the laborers. Such dialysis is required to keep miners who suffer from kidney failure alive. A lot of workers feel that most of their disease comes from the water that they drank when they were in the mines that scientists have discovered contains trace amounts of radioactive minerals.

 

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was passed by congress in 1990. This law was passed for the purpose of helping the uranium miners and many others who have been suffering from work they've done in the mines. One important element in this case is that a majority of this mining process was done exclusively to provide the US with nuclear weapons. When you would like to get more information on melbourne compensation lawyers check out this site.

 

The Act states that each underground uranium miner may receive up to $100,000. This was based on the condition that they were experiencing one of six possible lung diseases that are linked to being exposed to radiation. Unfortunately, many of the American Indian miners that are entitled to the benefit have yet to receive any compensation.

 

Indian miners find that they are confronted with hurdles that are nearly impossible for them to overcome. The paperwork that is required for submitting a claim must be filled out and written in English. However, many American Indians cannot speak English well, as it is not their primary language.

 

At the Office of Navajo Uranium Workers, only 96 of the 242 Navajo miners who applied for compensation have received approval from the program. The total number of claims filed by former uranium miners approved by the Justice Department is 1,314. Another 1,316 miners' applications have been denied.

 

Proof of working in the mines is required in the form of check stubs to show the amount of time worked in the mines, therefore, proving the length of exposure. But many of those who have worked the mines, even for many years, didn't keep these records. Authorities that could provide this information to the workers are not helpful.

 

In 1947, the Navajo Indian Reservation first had mines opened on and around it. The jobs brought by the opening of the mines were a welcome event, at the time. This appreciation for work came in spite of the low wages and lousy working conditions.

 

Radon is seen as one of the leading health hazards in the mines. This colorless, odorless gas is caused by decaying uranium, and is radioactive. It is believed that most of the lung conditions that qualify for government compensation were caused by radon exposure.

 

In the hope of making changes to the law from 1990 and to make it easier for eligible miners to receive compensation for their ailments, tribal officers and afflicted miners plan to lobby Congress later this year. One problem facing the government is the common idea among Navajo miners that they will receive compensation based only on their work.

 

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