Hepatitis C Class Action Late Claims Benefit Plan

This post is being sponsored by Hep C Class Action. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Imagine contracting Hepatitis C from the same products that were meant to save your life?

If you or a loved one received blood transfusions or blood products between January 1, 1986, and July 1, 1990, they may have been exposed to the Hepatitis C disease and there is now a Hepatitis C class action settlement that is looking for late claimants.

Growing up, someone I knew got Hepatitis C. As a child I didn’t really understand the severity of the disease. I didn’t take it seriously and I remember one time using this person’s razor to ‘try’ to shave my legs. As expected, I cut my legs with the intensity of “Edward Scissorhands’ and when my parents found out what I did, they lost their marbles.

At the time, I didn’t realize how alarming the situation was but I can only imagine the predicament I put my parents in. Luckily, I never contracted Hepatitis C but the person I know nearly died from it. We are among the fortunate ones but there are others who did not fare so well.

Hepatitis C slowly attacks the liver and causes inflammation of the liver. Eventually, it may lead to liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer. Although one in three experience symptoms during acute infection such as fever, fatigue, joint pain, dark urine, light stools, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting or jaundice, most won’t know they have the disease until they do a blood test.

What is the Hepatitis C Class Action Late Claims Benefit Plan?

Thanks to a group of lawyers that have been fighting behind the scenes for decades the Late Claims Benefit Plan has come into play for those who were infected with Hepatitis C from receiving blood transfusions or blood products between 1986 and 1990. Not just the ones who received the blood, but their loved ones may also be eligible for compensation through the approximately $40 million to be distributed to eligible victims who did not claim before the initial deadline.

Compensation varies depending on the stage of the disease, with initial payments ranging from $14,600 to $329,000 – and potentially more.

You may qualify if:

• You received a blood transfusion in Canada in the period January 1, 1986, to July 1, 1990, and as a result, contracted HCV;
• You are an HCV-infected person with congenital clotting deficiencies (hemophilia) or with thalassemia major who received blood products or blood transfusions in Canada in the period January 1, 1986, to July 1, 1990
• You were infected with HCV by a spouse, partner or parent who qualifies; or
• You are a family member or dependent of a deceased person infected with HCV who would have qualified and his or her death was caused by HCV; and
• You have not already been approved or disqualified under the 1986-1990 Hepatitis C Settlement claims programs which have been available since April 2000.

I May Qualify for the Class Action Late Claims Benefit Plan, Now What?

Although it’s been over 30 years since the tainted blood scandal first began if you meet the qualifications and provide a reasonable explanation for your delay in making a claim, you may be eligible for an initial payment  of between $14,600 and $329,000 depending on the HCV disease progression.

You will have to obtain a late claim request for from the Claims Administrator and explain why you didn’t apply during the original claims period.

Once you submit your claim a court-appointed referee determines whether your explanation meets the requirements under the plan. If it does, you will receive a late claims application package to complete and submit. The Claims Administrator will outline the documents necessary to support an application for compensation and will arrange for a Traceback to establish whether the units of blood  that you received were contaminated with the Hepatitis C virus.

Once your completed application is received the Claims Administrator will determine if you are eligible for compensation under the Plan. In order to be considered, you have to submit your late claim request in accordance with the Plan to the Administrator no later than March 31, 2025.

For more information on the Late Claims Benefit Plan click below.

Learn More Here

Aneta Alaei

Aneta is a Toronto-based mom of four that loves a good meal, great company, and learning something new. In her free time, you can find her trying to keep yet another plant alive.

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