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Asbestos Bill

An estimated 10 million workers have been exposed to asbestos, a material known to cause cancer and other serious health problems, since 1940. This doesn’t include thousands of others who have been exposed to asbestos in the home and other locations. The passage of an appropriate asbestos bill through Congress has been a controversial issue, as lawyers, victims, and major business interests attempt to influence legislative decisions that will significantly affect their business and their lives.

Asbestos Lawsuits
Asbestos litigation has flooded our court system for decades, as thousand of people who have been seriously injured by asbestos try to receive the compensation they deserve. To consolidate these numerous claims, some past attempts have sought to deliver compensation to injured parties via class action settlements.

Debate over Asbestos Bill
For the last several years, Congress has been negotiating over the details and modification of an asbestos bill that would protect citizen and business interests alike. Companies who are liable for exposing people to asbestos are trying hard to reduce their need to pay patients for the injuries they have caused. They want the asbestos bill to limit their liability and cover their most coveted interest—their own financial assets.

Patients and those who care for their interests—such as asbestos attorneys and consumer rights activists—want the asbestos bill to ensure that sick people are able to quickly obtain sufficient compensation for their asbestos diseases via a new asbestos bill. Currently, many people face obstacles trying to obtain the help they need and a new asbestos bill needs to address and remedy these problems.

The FAIR Asbestos Bill
In 2006, Congress considered improvements to the FAIR asbestos bill, otherwise known as the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act. The changes to this asbestos bill would provide several improvements such as:

• Ensuring that an asbestos fund would not burden tax-payers
• Regulate the contributions of qualified companies to the asbestos fund
• Limit old inactive claims from clogging the compensation system
• Provide recovery for the sickest claimants first
• Ensure the eligibility of veterans, who currently struggle to obtain compensation in the legal system

Congress continues to work towards the passage of an asbestos bill, as patient advocates and asbestos attorneys vigilantly fight to protect patient rights. If you have been exposed to asbestos and developed an asbestos disease, contact us today to learn more about your rights and options.