Farmers Insurance Group v. SAIF Corp.

The claimant is a widow who filed a workers’ compensation claim with the State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) and petitioner, Farmers Insurance Group (Farmers) in late 1981, following her husband’s death from a condition later determined to be asbestos-related and attributable to his work. Farmers and SAIF had workers’ compensation policies covering her husband’s employer for different periods of time during which he could have been exposed to asbestos. Both Farmers and SAIF denied the claim.

One issue at the hearing was which insurer was responsible to pay benefits. On March 14, 1983, the…