Five People You Should Know In The Asbestos Lawsuit History Industry
Asbestos Lawsuit History
Since the 1980s many asbestos lawsuit-producing employers and companies have gone bankrupt and the victims are paid through trust funds for bankruptcy and individual lawsuits. Some plaintiffs have complained about suspicious legal tactics in their cases.
Several asbestos-related cases have gone before the United States Supreme Court. The court has heard cases involving settlements of class actions that sought to limit liability.
Anna Pirskowski
In the mid-1900s, a woman named Anna Pirskowski suffered from asbestos-related diseases and died. Her death was significant because it triggered asbestos lawsuits against several manufacturers, and led to an increase in claims filed by patients diagnosed with lung cancer, mesothelioma, or other diseases. These lawsuits led to creation trust funds that were used by bankrupt companies to pay asbestos-related victims. These funds also allow asbestos victims and their families to receive compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering.
In addition to the many deaths associated with asbestos exposure, those who are exposed to the substance often bring it home to their families. In this case, the family members breathe in the asbestos and suffer from the same symptoms similar to those who were exposed. Some of these symptoms include chronic respiratory issues, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Although many asbestos companies were aware that asbestos was dangerous but they hid the dangers and refused to warn their employees or consumers. Johns Manville Company actually refused to allow life insurance companies into their premises to put up warning signs. The company's own studies, revealed asbestos' carcinogenicity in the 1930s.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1971, but the agency didn't begin to regulate asbestos until the 1970s. By this time health professionals and doctors were already working to educate people to asbestos' dangers. These efforts were mostly successful. News articles and lawsuits started to increase awareness however many asbestos-related companies were resistant to stricter regulations.
Despite the fact that asbestos has been banned in the United States, mesothelioma continues to be a major issue for individuals throughout the country. It's because asbestos continues to be found in homes and businesses even in those that were built prior to the 1970s. This is why it's essential for those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness to seek legal help. An experienced lawyer will assist them in getting the justice they deserve. They will be able to understand the complicated laws that apply to this particular case and will ensure that they get the best possible result.
Claude Tomplait
Claude Tomplait, diagnosed with asbestosis in 1966, filed the first lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers. In his lawsuit, he claimed that the manufacturers had failed warn consumers about the dangers of their insulation products. This crucial case opened the way for tens and thousands of similar lawsuits to be filed in the future.
Most asbestos lawsuits are brought by people who have worked in the construction industry and used asbestos-containing materials. These include electricians, plumbers, carpenters, plumbers as well as drywall installers and roofers. A few of these workers are now suffering from mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related ailments. Many are also seeking compensation for the loss of loved family members.
A lawsuit against an asbestos-product manufacturer can result in millions of dollars in damages. This money is used to cover future and past medical expenses, lost wages and suffering and pain. This money can also be used to pay for travel expenses, funeral and burial expenses and loss companionship.
Asbestos litigation has forced many businesses into bankruptcy and created asbestos trust funds to pay victims. It has also put an immense burden on state and federal courts. Additionally it has consumed thousands of man-hours by attorneys and witnesses.
The asbestos litigation was an expensive and long-running process that lasted several decades. The asbestos litigation was a lengthy and costly process that spanned years. However, it was successful in exposing asbestos executives who hid the truth about asbestos for many years. They were aware of the risks and pressured workers not to speak out about their health issues.
After years of appeal and trial, the court ruled in favor of Tomplait. The court's ruling was based on a 1965 edition of the Restatement of Torts that states, "A manufacturer is liable for injuries to consumers or users of his product when the product is sold in a defective state without adequate warning."
Following the decision the defendants were ordered to compensate the widow of Tomplait, Jacqueline Watson. Watson passed away before her final award could be made by the court. Kazan Law volunteered to take the case to the California Supreme Court to overturn the Appellate Court's decision.
Clarence Borel
Workers' compensation claims were filed by asbestos-insulators such as Borel in the latter half of 1950s. They complained of respiratory ailments and a thickening of the fingertip tissue (called "finger clubbing"). However, asbestos companies hid the health risks associated with asbestos exposure. In the 1960s, more research in medicine began to connect asbestos with respiratory illnesses such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.
In 1969, Borel sued manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation materials for not warning of the dangers of their products. He claimed he had developed mesothelioma and asbestosis as a result of working with their insulation for 33 years. The court ruled that defendants were required to warn.
The defendants claim that they did not infringe their duty to inform because they knew or should have been aware of the dangers associated with asbestos before the year 1968. They cite expert testimony that asbestosis doesn't show itself until fifteen or twenty, or even twenty-five years after the first exposure to asbestos. If these experts are right they could be liable for injuries sustained by other workers who may have had asbestosis prior to Borel.
The defendants argue that they aren't accountable for the mesothelioma of Borel, as it was his decision to continue working with asbestos-containing products. But they do not consider the evidence that was gathered by Kazan Law which showed that the defendants' businesses were aware about asbestos's dangers for a long time and suppressed this information.
The 1970s saw a rise in asbestos-related litigation, in spite of the Claude Tomplait class action case being the first. Asbestos lawsuits flooded the courts and thousands of workers developed asbestos-related diseases. As a result of the litigation, a number of asbestos-related companies went bankrupt and established trust funds to pay for victims of their asbestos-related ailments. As the litigation progressed, it became evident that asbestos companies were responsible to the extent of the harm caused by toxic substances. As a result, the asbestos industry was forced to change the way they operated. Many asbestos-related lawsuits are resolved today for millions of dollars.
Stanley Levy
Stanley Levy has written a number of articles that have been published in scholarly journals. He has also spoken on these issues at several seminars and legal conferences. He is a member of the American Bar Association, and has served in various committees that deal with asbestos and mesothelioma. His firm, Levy Phillips & Konigsberg represents more than 500 asbestos victims across the nation.
The firm charges a 33 percent fee plus costs for compensations it obtains for its clients. It has won some of the biggest verdicts in asbestos litigation, including a $22 million settlement for a mesothelioma sufferer who worked at a New York City Steel Plant. The firm also represents 132 Brooklyn Navy Yard plaintiffs, and has filed lawsuits for a multitude of people suffering from mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases.
Despite this achievement however, the firm is facing increased criticism over its involvement in asbestos lawsuits. It has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories, sabotaging the jury system and skewing the statistics. The company has also been accused of pursuing fraud claims. In response, the company has launched a public defence fund and is soliciting donations from individuals as well as companies.
Another issue is that many defendants are attacking the scientific consensus worldwide that asbestos, even at low levels, can cause mesothelioma. They have used money paid by asbestos companies to pay "experts" to publish papers in academic journals that support their arguments.
In addition to arguing over the scientific consensus on asbestos, attorneys are looking at other aspects of the case. For instance, they are arguing about the necessity of a constructive notice to file a claim for asbestos. They argue that in order to be eligible for compensation, the victim must actually have been aware of asbestos' dangers. They also argue over the proportion of compensation among different types of asbestos lawyers-related illnesses.
Attorneys representing plaintiffs argue there is a substantial public interest in awarding damages to compensate people who suffer from mesothelioma and related diseases. They argue that asbestos-producing companies should be aware of the risks, and must be held accountable.