Asbestos Bill News

Asbestos Senate Bill Seeks to Stop Asbestos Lawsuits

October 18, 2005

A major asbestos bill set to be voted on the Senate floor this month is widely expected to fail due to several details in its wording. The bill seeks to stop asbestos related lawsuits by setting up a government-sponsored trust fund from which asbestos and mesothelioma cancer victims could seek monetary compensation.

In June the Senate committee passed the bill 13-5 with all 10 Republicans and only 3 Democrats voting yes. Support for the bill in June was seen as largely conditional until certain details were negotiated out on the floor. It is unlikely that the bill will even reach the floor to be debated on this month due to other national concerns such as the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.

Because of the unlikelihood of a debate even being able to take place, both sides of the issue have not issued extensive declarations or campaigns for or against the asbestos related bill.

The measure would form a $140 billion trust fund with money from businesses, to give to cancer victims whose disease can be traced to asbestos exposure. Since the 1980s, several mesothelioma cancer patients have been very successful in being awarded large settlements in lawsuits linked to asbestos exposure.

Opposition to the bill comes from many Democrats, trial lawyers, and organized labor unions who all say that the bill does not effectively address the issue of asbestos exposure damages and does not do enough to compensate victims that have suffered deadly forms of cancer because of their exposure.

There are several details of the bill that seem likely to stall its passage for any foreseeable future. Chief among these issues is the problem of what to do if the trust fund runs out of money.

Negotiations are expected to continue as the asbestos bill is ironed out in Senate.

.For more information on asbestos related illnesses and death, please contact us to confer with an attorney.

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