Does it make a difference if a person who is exposed to Benzene was exposed on the job, as opposed to not on the job (like a resident)?

A: It could.

There are some laws that deal with claims by workers who are injured on the job. 

If you were exposed to Benzene and you were on the job with BP, there is a chance your claim may be barred against BP because BP has workers compensation insurance.  However, if some other company shared responsbility for the Benzene leak, you can still pursue a claim against them. 

If you were exposed while on the job with a company other than BP, your claim may still be barred under the workers compensation rules, but only if BP and the other companies set up their paperwork correctly.

If you were exposed to Benzene in a non-work related setting (for example, you are a resident in the area), then you do not need to worry about these workers compensation rules.  Your claim against BP and any other responsible company will not be barred under any work injury rules.

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