Five Killer Quora Answers To Asbestos Lawsuit History
asbestos lawsuit [just click the next document] History
Many asbestos victims have received help from lawyers like Stanley Levy. Patients suffering from mesothelioma or other asbestos-related illnesses can sue companies that produced, mined or used asbestos and asbestos-containing products.
The first asbestos lawsuit was filed by Nellie Kershaw. She worked in a factory that made asbestos fibers in England and was diagnosed with health issues. She passed away at 33 due to fibrosis in her lungs, which was caused by exposure to asbestos.
The First Cases
Asbestos is a hazardous mineral that has afflicted or killed thousands of people over time. Asbestos claims are filed for many reasons, but they usually involve those who were exposed to asbestos lawyer in their work. This includes workers who worked in factories that produced asbestos-related products, or on the construction sites of buildings with asbestos. It can also include people who were exposed to asbestos through household products like talcum powder.
Those who were exposed to asbestos may develop a variety of illnesses, including mesothelioma and lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. Many have received compensation for their injuries even though some of these diseases can be fatal. Most countries have laws requiring companies that create dangerous substances inform anyone who might be injured.
The first asbestos lawsuit was filed in 1929 and included a woman named Anna Pirskowski. She was suffering from a range of symptoms including shortness of breath and the thickening of the tissue around the fingers, called clubbing. She was awarded an amount of $75,000 as a 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 lawsuits were filed. Some of the cases became quite large, and a lot of attorneys started to specialize in asbestos litigation. They only accepted cases that were important. Kazan Law was one firm that specialized in this area in the latter part of the 80s.
Other lawsuits were won by individuals who been diagnosed with other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis or pleural plaques. The disease that caused them was similar to the mesothelioma, which makes it easier to prove for lawyers. These claims led to the release of secret documents that revealed the ways asbestos product manufacturers attempted to hide their risks. This led to the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule being enacted 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 filed against companies that mined asbestos, manufactured asbestos-containing products or sold asbestos-containing products. In addition, mesothelioma sufferers made claims against companies that designed and built the buildings where they worked, such as power plants, shipyards, factories and refineries. The correlation between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma development is strong.
In the early 1980s the legal battle over asbestos lawsuits began to escalate and the courts ruled on many aspects of the case procedure. A federal court, for example, ruled that only those suffering from malignant asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer could bring a lawsuit against the makers of asbestos products. This ruling, dubbed Borel v. Fibreboard Paper Products Corp. was a major setback for asbestos lawsuit defendants.
The same time, Nellie Kershaw from Rochdale in England was the first to file what is now seen as the first known lawsuit against asbestos-related companies. Kershaw was a factory worker from Rochdale, England was diagnosed with lung problems caused by her close exposure to raw asbestos fibers. Kershaw tried to convince her employer to pay for the treatment. The company, however, refused. Kershaw died at 33 years old from fibrosis of her lungs.
The second phase of asbestos lawsuits centered on workers exposed to different types asbestos-containing building products, like fireproofing sprays and drywall products. Asbestos lawyers also successfully brought cases against companies that made the equipment that made use of asbestos-containing materials, such as boilers and pumps.
During this period, numerous documents pertaining to asbestos companies were discovered. These documents proved their involvement in fraud and conspiracies. The documents included the personal files of Johns-Manville President Sumner Simpson and correspondence from the general attorney for another asbestos producer, Raybestos Manhattan. These documents revealed a shady alliance between these companies to hide asbestos' dangers and deflect efforts to educate the public.
The discovery of these and other forms of corporate fraud and collusion in the early to mid-1980s sparked a wave of class action settlements as well as other efforts to limit asbestos attorneys liability for asbestos companies. These attempts were met by fierce resistance from plaintiffs’ attorneys as well as their clients and the general public.
The Third Case
In the 1970s, asbestos-related companies had lost the ability to hide information on the fatal effects of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases from the public. This was due in large part to the fact that major national journals began paying attention to the connection between asbestos, mesothelioma and other respiratory diseases, instead of small industry newsletters and medical journals. Once the connection between asbestos and serious diseases was well established, victims began filing lawsuits against asbestos producers.
One of the primary factors that pushed increased asbestos lawsuits in the 1970s was a ruling by the courts that allowed plaintiffs to use the legal theory of strict liability. In the past asbestos lawsuits, plaintiffs had to show that asbestos manufacturers were negligent in the way they caused their exposure to asbestos. However in the 1973 case of Borel v. Fibreboard, a judge ruled that asbestos manufacturers were accountable for any injuries their products caused if the company knew that their product was unsafe and failed to warn its employees or the general public about the dangers.
Following this ruling, a lot of asbestos producers filed for bankruptcy. This procedure permits a business, even though it is still operating, to reorganize its affairs in bankruptcy court and put money into trusts to pay asbestos claimants. Johns-Manville was an especially notable case, since it was hit with numerous lawsuits from former factory workers who were suffering from asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Kazan Law brought several cases against the manufacturer and was able to get the company punitive damages in a number of cases.
Asbestos litigation has increased since then due to the rising number of asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos litigation can be complicated because the illnesses caused by asbestos can take a long time to manifest and aren't always apparent to those diagnosed.
In addition there have been cases where victims were forced to wait for years to receive compensation from insurance companies after their employers were found accountable. The US Supreme Court has addressed several cases in which asbestos companies tried to limit their liability by offering settlements for class actions. It has also discussed whether individual defendants could be held liable for asbestos related injury.
The Fourth Case
Asbestos is a very dangerous mineral, which has killed or sickened hundreds of thousands of people over the many years. Asbestos was also widely used by companies who were aware of its dangers, but continued to make use of it.
As the legal system tackles asbestos lawsuits and asbestos lawsuits, new developments take place constantly. One of the most significant legal developments is a case known as Lubbe v. Cape Plc, which set a precedent that allows victims to sue multinational companies in their home jurisdictions to recover compensation.
Most of the time, these cases involve secondary exposure to asbestos. Workers who handle asbestos at work may pass it on to their family members or spouses. The family members suffer from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
This type of situation is the basis for a variety of lawsuits filed by families of victims of asbestos today. Asbestos lawyers can help families bring a claim against the responsible parties for the asbestos-related injuries suffered by their loved relatives.
The emergence of class-action lawsuits is a significant development in asbestos litigation. These asbestos lawsuits allow victims to seek justice with the assistance of a lawyer who is experienced in the complicated legal issues these cases present.
While asbestos lawyers have advocated for this type of litigation, there are also those who are against it. There have been several initiatives to pass legislation that limit the use of class actions in asbestos lawsuits.
The most recent significant advancement in asbestos litigation was the filing of a suit by Massachusetts residents against four companies regarding how they handled asbestos removal and disposal. The lawsuit alleged that the companies had violated state law by not disposing of asbestos properly and failing to protect residents from harmful dust.
Asbestos litigation has been a long-running issue that will likely continue for many decades to come. The asbestos industry has attempted to shield itself from responsibility by using legal arguments based on technicalities and by trying to pass legislative solutions which would stop victims from seeking justice. However, it seems that a lot of victims and their lawyers are determined to see justice done.