Asbestos Law Becomes Big Business

1:26 am

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that has been used in industrial applications for decades because of its resistance to flame.  The initial purpose of mining asbestos and using it manufacturing was to save lives.  It has been used in countless automotive and marine applications where a fire-retardant material was needed.Ironically, as asbestos began to be widely used the people who were exposed to its airborne fibers began to come down with deadly diseases.  In the 1930’s the first links between asbestos exposure and diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma became known.  While the first lawsuits didn’t appear until the 1960’s, their number has increased over the past years.Since much exposure came from the workplace, the practice of suing the employer for exposure to asbestos has escalated.  Hundreds of lawsuits are filed each year in practically every industrialized country by people seeking compensation for death and illness caused by exposure to this mineral’s fibers.  While many countries have enacted legislation to curb the use of asbestos and to protect employees from exposure, there are still thousands of new cases of mesothelioma and similar diseases reported each year.Many law firms have devoted their practices entirely to asbestos cases.  There are firms specializing in representing plaintiffs and firms who specialize in representing the companies whose actions cause the asbestos exposure.  Some cases involve individual plaintiffs and others are large class actions suits, which sometimes involve entire towns where asbestos was mined. Millions of dollars in settlements each year attract many lawyers to be involved with this type of personal injury, but not every attorney is an asbestos attorney.  Such cases are usually best handled by a firm with years of experience in this type of case.The job of the asbestos lawyer on either side is challenging.  Many firms, especially those catering to blue-collar plaintiffs, only get paid if they win the case or if the opposing firm offers a settlement.  However, the settlements often end up in the millions to tens of millions of dollars, so many firms are willing to accept the challenge.