Asbestos Lawsuit History
Lawyers such as Stanley Levy have helped many asbestos victims. Patients suffering from mesothelioma or other asbestos-related illnesses can sue companies that produced, mined or used asbestos or asbestos-containing products.
The first asbestos lawsuit was filed by Nellie Kershaw. She worked at a factory that spun asbestos fibers in England and developed health issues. She passed away at 33 due to fibrosis of her lungs, which was caused by exposure to asbestos.
The First Cases
Asbestos is a hazardous mineral that has sickened or killed thousands of people over time. Asbestos claims are filed for a variety reasons, but they usually involve people who have been exposed to asbestos at work. This includes those who worked in factories that made asbestos-related products or at the construction site of buildings containing asbestos. It can also be people who were exposed to asbestos through household products like talcum powder.
Exposure to asbestos can trigger various illnesses that include mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other respiratory problems. Many have been compensated for their injuries even though some of these diseases are fatal. This is because many countries have laws that require companies who create dangerous substances to warn those who could be injured by them.
The first asbestos lawsuit that was filed in 1929 involved a woman by the name of Anna Pirskowski. She was suffering from a variety of ailments, including shortness of breath and the thickening of the tissue around the fingers, which is called clubbing. She was awarded an amount of $75,000 as a settlement, which is believed to be the first class action lawsuit filed in relation to asbestos.
In the years following there were a lot of asbestos lawsuits were filed. Some of the cases became quite large, and a lot of attorneys began to specialize in asbestos litigation. This meant that they only dealt with the most serious cases. One company that took on this was Kazan Law, which in the late 1980s started to concentrate on taking on cases for mesothelioma patients.
Other lawsuits were won by those who been diagnosed with other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis or pleural plaques. This is because the disease that caused these was similar to mesothelioma, making it simpler for lawyers to prove. These claims also led to the revelation of secret documents that showed the way asbestos producers tried to conceal the 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 diseases grew the families and victims began to file lawsuits. These lawsuits were brought against companies that mined asbestos, produced asbestos-containing products or sold products containing asbestos. Additionally, mesothelioma patients filed claims against the companies that designed and constructed the buildings they worked in like shipyards, power plants factories and refineries. The correlation between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma's development is strong.
In the early 1980s the legal battle over asbestos lawsuits began to intensify and courts made rulings on a variety of aspects of the procedure. A federal court, for example decided that only those suffering from malignant asbestos-caused diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer could take on asbestos manufacturers. products. This ruling, referred to as Borel V. Fibreboard Paper Products Corp. was an important setback in asbestos litigation.
The same time, Nellie Kershaw from Rochdale in England filed what is now regarded as the first known lawsuit against asbestos-related companies. Kershaw was factory worker from Rochdale, England was diagnosed with lung problems due to her exposure to asbestos fibers. She tried to get her employer to cover the cost of treatment. The company refused. Kershaw died in her 30s from fibrosis.
The second round of asbestos lawsuits centered on people who had been exposed to different kinds of asbestos-containing building materials, such as fireproofing sprays, and drywall products. Asbestos lawyers also prevailed in lawsuits against companies who manufactured the equipment that made use of asbestos-containing products, such as pumps and boilers.
During this period, a variety of incriminating documents were discovered that proved asbestos companies' involvement in conspiracy and fraud. This included the personal records of Johns-Manville president Sumner Simpson, as well as correspondence from the general counsel of another asbestos manufacturer, Raybestos Manhattan. These documents revealed the scheme of these companies to cover up the fact that asbestos was dangerous and to deflect efforts to inform the public of asbestos' dangers.
The discovery of these and other forms of corporate fraud and collusion in the early to mid-1980s caused a surge of class action settlements and other attempts at limiting asbestos liability for asbestos-related companies. These efforts were met with fierce resistance from plaintiffs’ attorneys as well as their clients and the public.
The Third Cases
By the 1970s asbestos companies were no longer able cover up the dangers of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma from the public. This was due in large part to the fact that the connection between asbestos and illnesses like mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other respiratory ailments began getting attention from major national publications instead of just small medical journals or newsletters for industry. As soon as the link between asbestos and serious diseases was well-established, victims started filing lawsuits against asbestos producers.
One of the major driving factors that led to increased asbestos lawsuits in the 1970s was a ruling by the courts which allowed plaintiffs to apply the legal theory of strict liability. In the past asbestos lawsuits, plaintiffs had to prove that asbestos manufacturers were negligent in creating their asbestos exposures. However, in the 1973 case of Borel v. Fibreboard, a judge declared that asbestos producers were accountable for any injuries they caused in the event that the company knew their product was hazardous and did not warn its employees or the general public about the dangers.
In the wake of this ruling, a number of asbestos producers have filed for bankruptcy, a procedure that allows businesses to be reorganized in bankruptcy court, put funds aside in trusts to pay for asbestos claims and still continue to operate. Johns-Manville is one of the most notable examples. It was the victim of numerous lawsuits filed by former factory workers who were diagnosed with asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. Kazan Law brought several cases against the manufacturer and was able to get punitive damages against it.
Since the time, asbestos litigation has continued to grow due to the growing number of people suffering from asbestos-related ailments. Asbestos lawsuits are often complicated due to the ailments that they cause can take a long time to manifest and aren't always obvious to those diagnosed.
Additionally, some victims have been forced to wait for years to receive compensation from insurance companies after their employers were found responsible. The US Supreme Court has dealt with several cases involving settlements for class actions that asbestos companies offered in an attempt to limit their liability, and it has also pondered the question of whether or not it is possible to hold defendants accountable for asbestos-related injuries.
The Fourth Cases
Asbestos, a substance that is extremely dangerous has killed and sickened hundreds of thousands over the years. Asbestos was also widely used by companies who were aware of its dangers however they continued to make use of it.
As the legal system handles asbestos lawsuits and asbestos lawsuits, new developments take place every day. One of the most important legal developments is a ruling called Lubbe v Cape Plc, which set a precedent that allows victims to sue multinational corporations in their home jurisdictions for compensation.
Most of the time, these cases involve secondary exposure to asbestos. This is when those who handle asbestos on the job pass it to their spouses or children at home. The family members then suffer from mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.
This kind of case is the basis for a variety of lawsuits filed by families of victims today. Asbestos lawyers can help families bring a case against the companies that caused the asbestos-related injuries suffered by their loved ones.
Another major change in asbestos litigation has been the increase in class action lawsuits. These asbestos lawsuits permit victims to seek justice with the aid of a lawyer well-versed in the legal issues that these cases raise.
Some asbestos attorneys are against this type of litigation. There have been numerous initiatives to pass legislation that restrict the use of class actions in asbestos lawsuits.
The latest major advancement in asbestos lawyer litigation is the filing an action by Massachusetts residents against four companies for handling asbestos removal and disposal. The lawsuit alleged the companies violated state laws by not properly disposing of asbestos and exposing residents to the harmful dust.
Asbestos litigation is a long-running issue that will likely continue for many decades to come. The asbestos industry has tried to avoid responsibility through legal arguments based on technicalities and by trying to pass legislative solutions that would stop victims from seeking justice. It appears that many victims, as well as their lawyers are determined to see justice served.