Asbestos litigation involves lawsuits against manufacturers, suppliers, employers, or other entities for asbestos-related diseases. Plaintiffs seek financial compensation for injuries sustained from asbestos exposure, often from working in industries that used asbestos. Asbestos litigation is common in the US and has caused many companies to go bankrupt. Plaintiffs claim that liable entities were aware of the dangers of asbestos but failed to inform workers. Compensation can cover medical expenses, debilitation, or wrongful death.
Asbestos litigation refers to lawsuits brought against asbestos manufacturers, suppliers, employers, or other relevant entities. Typically, a case is filed by a plaintiff who contracted an asbestos-related disease, such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, as a result of exposure to certain asbestos products in a specific location. In filing the lawsuit, the plaintiff generally seeks to be financially compensated for any injuries sustained as a result of asbestos exposure.
In the late 1920s, the first recorded asbestos litigation was filed against a manufacturer of an asbestos product. Since that first case, a large number of these lawsuits have been filed around the world. Asbestos litigation was especially common in the United States, where it was recorded as one of the longest-running mass torts in history. As a result of this massive amount of lawsuits, many asbestos manufacturers, distributors and other companies have gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy protection for their asbestos liability.
Asbestos fibers have historically been used as a building material, although use is now highly regulated and very limited in many countries. A typical plaintiff filing an asbestos litigation case has been regularly exposed to asbestos fibers while on the job. For example, a plaintiff who worked in a power plant, construction industry, or steel mill might have developed serious heart, lung, or cancerous disease as a result of regular contact with products containing asbestos fibers. Additionally, family members or friends of the actor may have been at risk of contracting an illness due to exposure to secondhand asbestos. Many asbestos-related diseases have a latency period of up to fifty years, causing the condition to show up long after someone has been exposed.
In general, an asbestos litigation is based on the premise that a manufacturer, distributor, employer, or other liable entity was aware of the dangers associated with asbestos products and failed to inform workers of the potential dangers associated with their products. As a result of failing to give notice, a plaintiff may claim to have developed a debilitating, or even fatal, asbestos-related disease.
Asbestos litigation can allow a plaintiff who has contracted an asbestos-related disease to recover compensation for their pain and suffering. In general, the plaintiff is seeking compensation for any medical expenses incurred as a result of contracting an asbestos-related condition. In some cases, the plaintiff – or his family members – can also recover damages related to debilitation or wrongful death.
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