Asbestos Industry Knowledge of the Risk
5 Top Tips to Help Cope Easier
What About Prevention Legal System?
10 Keys to Choosing an Attorney
The Financial Costs to Society
In this section of the website, you can find mesothelioma legal help information, including
People began filing mesothelioma lawsuits in the 1970s, and by the end of 2000, more than 600,000 people had sought mesothelioma legal help.
If you or a family member has been exposed to asbestos on the job, or if you or your family member has already developed mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related illness, you may want to seek mesothelioma legal help. Certain time limits restricting when you can file a lawsuit may mean you could be running out of time to receive mesothelioma legal help and compensation.
Mesothelioma Laws
The history of asbestos / mesothelioma law goes back almost 80 years.
Thousands of lawsuits have been brought against companies who exposed
their employees to asbestos. As more and more of these employees began
to develop mesothelioma, more people began filing lawsuits. More than
600,000 mesothelioma lawsuits were filed by the end of the year 2000.
A number of mesothelioma laws have been proposed in Congress. The most
well-known was the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005,
or S.852, proposed to create a trust fund from which victims of
asbestos exposure could receive compensation. So far, S.852 and all
other proposed mesothelioma laws have either not passed or have been
tabled for the time being.
President Bush has made it clear that he wants Congress to pass a
mesothelioma law, and quite a few Congressmen have been developing and
supporting asbestos bills. With growing pressure from the President
and big corporations, it is more likely every day that Congress will
pass some kind of new mesothelioma law that may limit asbestos
victims' time limits and the medical criteria required to be met
before filing a lawsuit.
You may lose your right to receive an asbestos settlement if Congress
passes asbestos legislation in the future. With all of the possible
changes in mesothelioma law, your time to file a mesothelioma lawsuit
may be limited.
Asbestos Law
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) all recognize asbestos as a
cancer-causing agent. Since the early 1970s, the EPA and OSHA have
tried to pass asbestos laws to ban or limit the use of this deadly
material.
Many asbestos producers began pressuring the U.S. government to
prevent any asbestos laws that would limit or ban asbestos use because
they feared loss of profits.
As a result, government agencies like the EPA and OSHA were forced to
back down from trying to pass any asbestos laws throughout the 1970s
and 1980s. During that time workers continued being exposed to this
toxin.
The EPA announced in 1989, after a ten-year study, that it would phase
out and ban almost all products containing asbestos. However, in 1991
the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned most of this new
asbestos law that would have banned use of the material.
Following the Court's decision, some asbestos-containing products
remained banned, including flooring felt; rollboard; and corrugated,
commercial, or specialty paper. Also, the law banned the use of
asbestos in products that had not historically contained asbestos.
The EPA continues to regulate the release of asbestos from factories
and during building demolition and renovation. They also set limits on
amounts that can be found in drinking water. OSHA also upholds certain
asbestos laws limiting the amounts of asbestos fibers that can be
found in the air in workplaces for certain time limits.
In this section of the website, you can find information on filing a mesothelioma lawsuit, including
Time limits for filing a mesothelioma lawsuit
The decision to file a mesothelioma lawsuit can be a difficult one to make. You may already be very sick or you may be caring for a very sick loved one. You may have already lost a loved one to this disease and may feel emotionally drained. Because of this, you may feel that you do not have the time or energy.
Filing a mesothelioma lawsuit may result in a settlement that could help you and your family get in-home medical care, pay off medical bills, debts, and funeral costs, or make sure your family will be taken care of in the future. Plus, if you have an attorney who has experience handling mesothelioma lawsuits, he or she can act as your advocate so that you can focus on treatments, on the medical care for your loved one, or on recovering emotionally after your loss instead of worrying about laws and courts.
Sometimes there are certain statutes of limitations, or time limits, on when you can file a mesothelioma lawsuit. You may wish to research your rights and legal options sooner rather than later, and take action before it is too late.
Mesothelioma law firms are those with lawyers who have experience handling mesothelioma cases. Experienced mesothelioma law firms can evaluate your case to
See if you are entitled to any compensation
Help you find out how you were exposed to asbestos
Find out who is responsible for your illness
When you work with a mesothelioma law firm, they may ask you to provide all the necessary information and a lawyer or team of lawyers will research and prepare your case. They are familiar with certain statutes of limitations, or time limits, that may affect your lawsuit.
Mesothelioma law firms can act as an advocate for you so that you do not have to worry about courts and case details. If you or a loved one has mesothelioma, you may be focused on treatments and care giving. Mesothelioma law firms can take care of the leg work of a lawsuit for you so you can focus on spending time with your family.
Knowing you have an experienced mesothelioma law firm working for you to help you receive compensation in your time of need can be very comforting for you and your family. For a free case evaluation by an experienced mesothelioma law firm, contact us today.