Asbestos-related claims have been litigated for well over thirty years. Typically, Plaintiffs in asbestos cases are primarily workers in asbestos mines, shipyards, refineries, and factories where asbestos-containing products were produced or installed, and at construction sites where fireproofing sprays, drywall products, and other asbestos-containing products are present. Exposure to airborne asbestos is known to cause diseases of the respiratory system. Significant illness and/or death can result from exposure to asbestos.

Over the past half-century, between 13 million and 21 million workers have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace. There are currently about 3000 new cases of asbestos-related symptoms diagnosed per year, mostly in men over the age of 40. By 2020, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there will be about 250,000 cases of asbestos-related disease diagnosed. Asbestos has a latency period of 20 to 50 years after the first exposure to asbestos. That means that if you worked around asbestos 50 years ago, you could be developing mesothelioma, cancer, or asbestosis now.

According to internal documents dating back seventy years, manufactures of asbestos insulation products have known about the dangers of their products. The first lawsuits against asbestos product manufacturers and companies were brought in 1929. Since then, numerous lawsuits have been filed against those responsible for products containing asbestos. Possible bases of liability in asbestos cases include negligence, strict liability, design defect, and failure to warn.

Many of these cases have resulted in large settlements for victims and their families. W.R. Grace, one of the largest manufacturers of asbestos products, has paid over $ 1.8 billion to manage and resolve asbestos related suits. In 2000, asbestos related claims against the company were up 81 percent from 1999, with even higher increases for the first three months of 2001. Many companies have sought bankruptcy protection as a result of the large number of asbestos-related cases filed against them. Courts, however, have required these companies to reorganize and establish settlement trusts to ensure that asbestos victims are compensated.

In all asbestos cases it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.