Asbestos claims allege disease from inhalation of asbestos fibers, principally mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Litigation has continued for decades and has driven scores of defendant companies into bankruptcy.
With many original manufacturers bankrupt, claims increasingly target peripheral defendants including premises owners, equipment makers, and distributors.
Alternative Names:
Asbestos Claims, Asbestos Personal Injury Litigation
Why it Matters?
The defendant profile has shifted to companies with tangential connections to asbestos, which makes product identification and exposure quantification the operative defenses rather than general causation, which is settled for mesothelioma. Bankruptcy trust filings by the same claimants are central evidence, since submissions identifying exposure to multiple bankrupt products can contradict trial testimony focusing on the remaining solvent defendant.
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Frequently asked questions
Why are peripheral defendants now targeted?
Is general causation still contested?
