Collins v. Arctic Builders, Inc.

OPINION

CARPENETI Justice.

I. INTRODUCTION

Wayne Collins was exposed to asbestos while working for Arctic Builders in 1968. This exposure had no immediate symptoms, but more than twenty years later Collins developed chest pain and shortness of breath. His doctor diagnosed him with chronic asbestos pleuritis, and Collins became aware of his condition on November 8, 1990. Collins claimed to have attempted to file for workers' compensation benefits in 1991, before the two-year statute of limitations had run. The board expressly made no factual determination concerning this attempt. Because…