5 Tools Everyone In The Asbestos Lawsuit History Industry Should Be Utilizing
Asbestos Lawsuit History
Lawyers like Stanley Levy have helped many asbestos victims. People with asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, can sue companies that mined, manufactured or used asbestos.
The first asbestos lawsuit was filed by Nellie Kershaw. She worked in a plant that made asbestos fibers in England and developed health problems. She died at the age of 33 due to fibrosis that had developed in her lungs, which was caused by exposure to asbestos.
The First Cases
Asbestos, a dangerous mineral, has sickened and killed thousands of people throughout the years. Asbestos claims can be filed for a variety of reasons, but they generally involve people who were exposed to the substance at work. This could include workers in factories that produced asbestos-related products as well as those who worked on the construction of buildings that contain asbestos, and even those who were exposed to asbestos from contaminated household products like talcum powder.
Anyone who was exposed to asbestos may be afflicted with a variety of illnesses, including mesothelioma and lung cancer, and other respiratory conditions. While some of these illnesses are serious and may be fatal, many have been able to receive compensation for their injuries. Most countries have laws requiring companies that produce dangerous substances to warn anyone who may be injured.
The first asbestos lawsuit, filed in 1929, involved a woman by the name of Anna Pirskowski. She was suffering from shortness of breath and thickening of the tissue around the fingertip (known as clubbing). She was awarded an amount of $75,000 in settlement that is believed to be the first class action lawsuit filed in connection with asbestos.
In the years that followed, more and more asbestos attorney lawsuits were filed. Asbestos litigation became a very vast area of law and many lawyers began to specialize in asbestos litigation. This meant that they were able to handle the most serious cases. One firm that was involved in this was Kazan Law, which in the late 1980s began to concentrate on bringing cases on behalf of people who had mesothelioma.
Other lawsuits were won by those who had suffered from other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis or plaques in the pleural cavity. This is due to the fact that the disease that caused these was like mesothelioma making it easier for lawyers to prove. These claims led to the disclosure of secret documents that showed how asbestos product manufacturers tried to hide the risks they carry. This led to the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule being announced in 1989.
The Second Cases
As the number diagnosed with asbestos-related disease increased the number of victims and their families began to file lawsuits. These lawsuits were brought against companies who mined asbestos, made asbestos-containing products or sold products containing asbestos. Mesothelioma patients also filed lawsuits against the companies that designed and constructed the buildings that they worked in including shipyards, power plants, and refineries. The connection between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma development is very strong.
In the early 1980s the legal litigation over asbestos lawsuits grew more intense and the courts began to rule on many aspects of the case process. For example, a federal court ruled that only individuals suffering from a malignant asbestos-caused illness such as mesothelioma, or lung cancer are eligible to bring an action against the makers of the asbestos products they employed. This ruling, also referred to as Borel V. Fibreboard Paper Products Corp. was an important setback in asbestos litigation.
Around the same time, Nellie Kershaw from Rochdale in England filed what is now regarded as the first well-known lawsuit against asbestos companies. Kershaw, who had been diagnosed with lung ailments due to her close contact with asbestos fibers, attempted to get the company she worked for to pay for her treatments. The company refused. Kershaw passed away at 33 years old of lung fibrosis.
The second wave of asbestos cases centered on those who worked in construction sites and were exposed types of asbestos-containing building products such as fireproofing sprays, textures and drywall products. Asbestos lawyers also prevailed in cases against companies that made the equipment that made use of asbestos-containing materials, such as boilers and pumps.
During this time, a number of documents that were incriminating were found that proved asbestos companies were involved in a scheme of fraud and. The documents included the personal files of Johns-Manville president Sumner Simpson, as well as correspondence from the general counsel of another asbestos manufacturer, Raybestos Manhattan. These documents revealed a plot between these companies to hide the dangers of asbestos and to thwart efforts to warn the public.
In the mid-1980s to early-1990s, when these and other forms corporate fraud and conspiracy were exposed in the 1980s, a wave of class action settlement was initiated, as well as other attempts made to reduce asbestos liability by asbestos companies. These attempts were met with a fierce opposition from plaintiffs' lawyers and their clients, as as the general public at large.
The Third Cases
By the 1970s, asbestos-related companies had lost the ability to conceal information about the devastating effects of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related illnesses from the public. This was due in large part to the fact that major national publications began to pay attention to the link between mesothelioma, asbestos and other respiratory diseases, rather than small industry medical journals and newsletters. Once the connection between asbestos and serious illness was established, patients started filing lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers.
One of the main push factors that led to more asbestos lawsuits in 1970s was a court ruling which allowed plaintiffs to apply the legal concept of strict liability. In the past, plaintiffs in asbestos cases required proof that asbestos manufacturers were negligent in the way they caused their asbestos exposures. In the 1973 case of Borel v. Fibreboard a judge ruled asbestos producers liable for any injuries resulting from their products if they knew that their product was dangerous but did not inform their employees or the general public about the dangers.
After this ruling, many asbestos producers filed for bankruptcy. This permits a business, even though it is still operating, to reorganize its affairs in bankruptcy court and put money in trusts to pay asbestos claimants. Johns-Manville was a particularly notable example, as it was slammed with a variety of lawsuits filed by former factory workers who were suffering from asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Kazan Law set several cases against the manufacturer and was able obtain punitive damages verdicts against the company.
Since the time asbestos litigation has continued increase due to the increasing number of victims suffering from asbestos-related ailments. Asbestos cases can be complicated because the diseases they cause can take decades to manifest themselves and are not always immediately evident to those who have been diagnosed.
Some victims have been waiting for years to receive reimbursement from insurance companies, even after their employers were found liable. The US Supreme Court has addressed a number of cases where asbestos companies sought to limit their liability by offering settlements for class actions. It also has considered whether individuals can be held accountable for asbestos related injury.
The Fourth Case
Asbestos, a mineral which is extremely harmful has killed and sickened hundreds of thousands over the decades. Asbestos was also extensively used by companies who were aware of its dangers, but continued to use it.
The legal system is able to handle these asbestos lawsuits with a constant stream of new developments. One of the most important legal developments is the decision Lubbe v. Cape Plc. This set an example for Asbestos Attorney victims to sue multinational corporations in their home countries for compensation.
These cases often involve secondary asbestos exposure. Workers who handle asbestos at work can transfer it to their families or spouses. The family members suffer from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
Many lawsuits are filed by the families of victims of this type of situation. Asbestos lawyers can help families file a lawsuit against the company that is responsible for their loved ones' asbestos injuries.
The rise of class-action lawsuits is a major change in asbestos litigation. These asbestos lawsuits allow victims to seek justice with the aid of a lawyer familiar with the complex legal issues that these cases bring.
While many asbestos attorneys have pushed for this kind of litigation, there are also those who are against it. In fact, there have been several attempts to pass legislation to limit the use of class actions in asbestos cases.
The most recent significant change in asbestos litigation was the filing of a lawsuit by Massachusetts residents against four companies concerning how they handled asbestos abatement and disposal. The lawsuit claimed that the firms did not follow state laws by not disposing asbestos properly and failing residents from toxic dust.
asbestos lawyer litigation is a long-running problem that will likely persist for many decades to come. The asbestos industry has attempted to avoid responsibility through legal arguments based on technicalities and also by attempting to pass legislative solutions which would hinder victims from seeking justice. It appears that a lot of victims, and their lawyers are determined to see justice done.