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10 Beautiful Images To Inspire You About Asbestos Lawsuit History
Asbestos Lawsuit History

Many asbestos victims have been helped by lawyers like Stanley Levy. People with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses can sue companies that mined, manufactured, or used asbestos and asbestos-containing products.

Nellie Kershaw filed the first asbestos lawsuit. She developed health issues while working in an asbestos fiber manufacturing plant in England. She passed away at the age of 33 due to fibrosis that had developed in her lungs, which was caused by exposure to asbestos.

The First Cases

Asbestos is a hazardous mineral that has afflicted or killed thousands of people over the years. Asbestos claims are filed for many reasons, but they usually involve those who have been exposed to asbestos in their work. This includes those who worked in factories that produced asbestos-related products, or on the construction site of buildings containing asbestos. It can also be people who were exposed asbestos by using household products, such as talcum powder.

Those who were exposed to asbestos may be afflicted with a variety of diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other respiratory diseases. Many have been compensated for their injuries even though some of these diseases are fatal. Most countries have laws requiring companies that create dangerous substances warn anyone who may be injured.

The first asbestos lawsuit that was filed in 1929 involved a woman by the name of Anna Pirskowski. She was suffering from breath shortness and thickening in the fingertip tissue (known as clubbing). She received a settlement amounting to $75,000 in what is believed to be a first-ever class action lawsuit that dealt with asbestos.

In the years that followed there were a lot of asbestos lawsuits were filed. Asbestos litigation became a large area of law, and many attorneys began to specialize in asbestos litigation. They only would take on cases that were very important. One firm that was involved in this was Kazan Law, which in the late 1980s began to focus on taking on cases for people with mesothelioma.

Other lawsuits have been won by those who suffered from asbestos-related illnesses, such as asbestosis and plaques in the pleural region. This is because the condition that caused these was similar to mesothelioma and therefore simpler for lawyers to prove. These claims led to the release of secret documents which showed how asbestos manufacturers tried to hide their risks. In 1989, the Asbestos Ban & Phase Out Rule was issued.

The Second Cases

As the number of people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases grew the families and victims began bringing lawsuits. High Point asbestos lawsuits were filed against companies that mined asbestos, manufactured asbestos-containing products or sold products containing asbestos. Mesothelioma victims also filed lawsuits against companies that created and built the buildings where they worked such as power plants, shipyards and refineries. The correlation between asbestos exposure and the development of mesothelioma is strong.

In the early 1980s the legal litigation over asbestos lawsuits grew more ferocious and courts began to rule on various aspects of case processes. For instance, a federal court ruled that only those suffering from a malignant asbestos-caused illness such as mesothelioma, or lung cancer are eligible to file lawsuits against the producers of asbestos-related products they employed. The ruling, dubbed Borel v. Fibreboard Paper Products Corp. is a major setback for asbestos lawsuit defendants.

The same time, Nellie Kershaw from Rochdale in England was the first to file what is now seen as the first well-known lawsuit filed against asbestos companies. Kershaw, an employee in a factory in Rochdale, England was diagnosed with lung problems due to her exposure to asbestos fibers in raw form. She attempted to convince her employer to cover the cost of treatment. The company, however, refused. Kershaw passed away in her 30s from fibrosis.

The second phase of asbestos lawsuits focused on those who were exposed to various types asbestos-containing building products, such as fireproofing sprays, and drywall products. Asbestos attorneys also brought successful cases against companies that manufactured equipment that used asbestos-containing materials, like pumps and boilers.


During this period, a variety of documents that were incriminating were found that proved asbestos companies' involvement in conspiracy and fraud. The documents include the personal documents of Johns-Manville President Sumner Simpson and correspondence from the general attorney of another asbestos producer, Raybestos Manhattan. These documents revealed the scheme of these companies to cover up the fact that asbestos was dangerous and to suppress efforts to inform the public of asbestos' dangers.

In the mid-1980s to early-1990s When these and other forms corporate fraud and conspiracy were uncovered in the 1980s, a wave of class action settlements was launched and other attempts made to limit asbestos liability by asbestos companies. These attempts were met with strong opposition from plaintiffs' lawyers and their clients, as well as the general public in general.

The Third Cases

By the 1970s asbestos companies could no longer cover up the dangers of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma from people. This was due in large part to the fact that major national publications began to pay attention to the link between mesothelioma, asbestos, and other respiratory illnesses, as opposed to small industry medical journals and newsletters. When the link between asbestos and serious diseases was established, patients began filing lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers.

One of the primary driving factors that led to an increase in asbestos lawsuits in the 1970s was a court decision that allowed plaintiffs to use the legal concept of strict liability. Previously asbestos lawsuits, plaintiffs had to show that asbestos manufacturers were negligent in causing their exposure to asbestos. However, in the 1973 case of Borel v. Fibreboard, a judge decided that asbestos manufacturers were accountable for any injuries they caused in the event that the company knew their product was hazardous and failed to warn its employees or the general public about its dangers.

Following this ruling, many asbestos-related companies filed for bankruptcy, a procedure which allows a company to reorganize in bankruptcy court, set funds aside in trusts to cover asbestos claims, and continue to continue to operate. Johns-Manville is one of the most notable examples. It was a victim of numerous lawsuits brought by former employees who were suffering from asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. Kazan Law brought several cases against the manufacturer and was able to obtain the company punitive damages in a number of cases.

Asbestos litigation has grown in the past few years due to the growing number of asbestos-related illnesses. Asbestos litigation is often complicated due to the fact that the ailments caused by asbestos can take a long time to manifest and aren't always apparent to those who are diagnosed.

In addition, some victims have been forced to wait for years to receive compensation from insurance companies after their employers were found liable. The US Supreme Court has addressed a number of cases where asbestos companies sought to limit their liability by offering settlements for class actions. It has also discussed whether individual defendants could be held accountable for injuries resulting from asbestos.

The Fourth Case

Asbestos is a highly hazardous mineral that has sickened or killed hundreds of thousands of people over the decades. It's also a product that was extensively used by companies that knew it was deadly but continued to use it in their manufacturing processes.

As the legal system tackles these asbestos lawsuits, new developments are taking place every day. One of the most significant legal developments is the decision Lubbe v Cape Plc. This set the precedent for victims to sue multi-national companies in their home countries for compensation.

Often, these cases are accompanied by secondary exposure to asbestos. This happens when workers who handle asbestos while on the job transfer it to their spouses or children living at home. Family members suffer from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Many lawsuits are filed by the families of victims of this type of case. Asbestos lawyers can assist families file a lawsuit against the company responsible for their loved ones' asbestos-related injuries.

Another major advancement in asbestos litigation is the rise of class action lawsuits. These asbestos lawsuits give victims the chance to seek justice through the assistance of an attorney well-versed in the legal issues that these cases raise.

Some asbestos attorneys are against this type of litigation. In fact, there have been several attempts to pass legislation that would limit the use of asbestos-related class actions.

The most recent major development in asbestos litigation is the filing a suit by Massachusetts residents against four companies over their handling of asbestos removal and disposal. The lawsuit alleged the companies did not follow state laws in not properly disposing asbestos and failing to protect residents from the harmful dust.

Asbestos litigation has been ongoing for a long time and it's likely that it will continue to do so for a long time to come. The asbestos industry has tried to shield itself from responsibility using legal arguments based on technicalities and by trying to pass legislative remedies that would prevent victims from seeking justice. But, it appears that many victims and their lawyers are determined to see justice done.

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