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Published: February 20, 2007
Since ancient times, asbestos has been used for its flame retardant and insulation properties. However, since the 1890s and beyond, people have come to realize the dangers this useful material brings. From its sharp glass-like dust to its carcinogenic properties, asbestos has caused many injuries, illnesses, and deaths. As a result, there have been many asbestos lawsuits over the years.
There are three types of asbestos that occur in nature: white, brown, and blue.
All are considered hazardous, but white is considered the safest, and is still used commercially for its natural fire retardant properties. Asbestos has historically been linked to many deaths, especially in the construction industry. Types of asbestos injuries include lung scarring from inhaling asbestos dust, infection from shards lodged in the skin, calcification in the lung, and even cancer. According to a March 2004 report conducted by the EWG Action Fund, it's estimated that 9,900 people die of asbestos injury every year. That's a lot of new asbestos lawsuits.
The danger involved in working with the product and the number of injuries asbestos has caused, has led to a number of asbestos lawsuits. Currently, around 70 companies are facing some sort of asbestos litigation stemming from thousands of different asbestos lawsuits. Owens Corning, the United States' leading asbestos product manufacturer, has declared bankruptcy twice since 2000 due to facing $10 billion in asbestos lawsuits. Despite declining severely since the 1970s, asbestos is still big business throughout the world, and asbestos lawsuits continue to be filed.
In fact, asbestos claims are almost as big a business as the product itself. According to the American Bar Association, asbestos claims have been filed by more than 600,000 people by the year 2000, and thousands more file every year. Because of the volatile nature of the product, those who file asbestos lawsuits on injuries suffered before 1979 often receive huge monetary or stock settlements. Since warnings and biohazard regulations have been issued on asbestos since the 1980s, the number asbestos lawsuits should begin to decrease over the next few years, if the government is able to levy the proper control over the industry. Otherwise, asbestos lawsuits will continue to continue to be big legal business.
Probably the most numerous case filed against asbestos manufacturers is the asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit. Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that is caused by asbestos inhalation. It eats away at the lining of the lungs and kills around 3,000 every year. The average lifespan of a mesothelioma patient is around 2 years. An asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit can bring a settlement of anywhere between $2 million to $55 million. Most disappointingly, mesothelioma has the distinction of being a rare cancer that is entirely preventable, if the proper steps are taken to prevent asbestos inhalation. Nevertheless, most businesses see these safety measures as a liability to producing a cheap product, and would rather take the chance of asbestos lawsuits.
There is no doubt that asbestos is a uniquely useful material. However, the dangers involved in the production and use of commercial asbestos are too large and numerous to ignore. But settlements from asbestos lawsuits dating back to the 1980s that have cost these companies hundreds of billions of dollars isn't putting a damper on the use of it, or the continued filing of asbestos lawsuits. Hopefully, in the future, if asbestos is going to continue to be utilized, safety measures can be installed and regulated to decrease the injuries and deaths asbestos has caused. Otherwise, the asbestos lawsuits will just keep coming.
Sources:
Asbestos. Wikipedia. 16 Feb. 2007. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos>.
Asbestos and Vermiculite. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 29 Nov. 2006. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/>.
Gaskin, Lillian. "Asbestos Litigation." American Bar Association. 20 Nov. 2006. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.abanet.org/poladv/priorities/asbest os.html>.
Asbestos Related Verdicts & Settlements. Parker & Watchman, LLP. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.asbestoslawsuitinfo.com/asbestos-ve rdicts.html>.
Largest US Asbestos Manufacturer Seeks Bankruptcy. Asbestos News. 2 Jan. 2006. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.asbestosnews.com/news/asbestos-bank ruptcy.html>.
"Asbestos: Think Again." EWG Action Fund. 4 Mar. 2004. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.ewg.org/reports/asbestos/facts/fact 1.php>.
Your Link to Mesothelioma Information. MesoLink.Org. 2005. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.mesolink.org/>.
There are three types of asbestos that occur in nature: white, brown, and blue.
Related Articles
The danger involved in working with the product and the number of injuries asbestos has caused, has led to a number of asbestos lawsuits. Currently, around 70 companies are facing some sort of asbestos litigation stemming from thousands of different asbestos lawsuits. Owens Corning, the United States' leading asbestos product manufacturer, has declared bankruptcy twice since 2000 due to facing $10 billion in asbestos lawsuits. Despite declining severely since the 1970s, asbestos is still big business throughout the world, and asbestos lawsuits continue to be filed.
In fact, asbestos claims are almost as big a business as the product itself. According to the American Bar Association, asbestos claims have been filed by more than 600,000 people by the year 2000, and thousands more file every year. Because of the volatile nature of the product, those who file asbestos lawsuits on injuries suffered before 1979 often receive huge monetary or stock settlements. Since warnings and biohazard regulations have been issued on asbestos since the 1980s, the number asbestos lawsuits should begin to decrease over the next few years, if the government is able to levy the proper control over the industry. Otherwise, asbestos lawsuits will continue to continue to be big legal business.
Probably the most numerous case filed against asbestos manufacturers is the asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit. Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that is caused by asbestos inhalation. It eats away at the lining of the lungs and kills around 3,000 every year. The average lifespan of a mesothelioma patient is around 2 years. An asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit can bring a settlement of anywhere between $2 million to $55 million. Most disappointingly, mesothelioma has the distinction of being a rare cancer that is entirely preventable, if the proper steps are taken to prevent asbestos inhalation. Nevertheless, most businesses see these safety measures as a liability to producing a cheap product, and would rather take the chance of asbestos lawsuits.
There is no doubt that asbestos is a uniquely useful material. However, the dangers involved in the production and use of commercial asbestos are too large and numerous to ignore. But settlements from asbestos lawsuits dating back to the 1980s that have cost these companies hundreds of billions of dollars isn't putting a damper on the use of it, or the continued filing of asbestos lawsuits. Hopefully, in the future, if asbestos is going to continue to be utilized, safety measures can be installed and regulated to decrease the injuries and deaths asbestos has caused. Otherwise, the asbestos lawsuits will just keep coming.
Sources:
Asbestos. Wikipedia. 16 Feb. 2007. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos>.
Asbestos and Vermiculite. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 29 Nov. 2006. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/>.
Gaskin, Lillian. "Asbestos Litigation." American Bar Association. 20 Nov. 2006. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.abanet.org/poladv/priorities/asbest os.html>.
Asbestos Related Verdicts & Settlements. Parker & Watchman, LLP. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.asbestoslawsuitinfo.com/asbestos-ve rdicts.html>.
Largest US Asbestos Manufacturer Seeks Bankruptcy. Asbestos News. 2 Jan. 2006. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.asbestosnews.com/news/asbestos-bank ruptcy.html>.
"Asbestos: Think Again." EWG Action Fund. 4 Mar. 2004. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.ewg.org/reports/asbestos/facts/fact 1.php>.
Your Link to Mesothelioma Information. MesoLink.Org. 2005. 18 Feb. 2007 <http://www.mesolink.org/>.
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