History of Mesothelioma from Asbestos Manufacturers

The total American deaths from asbestos exposure is believed to be in excess of 250,000 people, and new cases are always emerging because it often takes 20 to 30 years of exposure for the disease to manifest itself. Many people believe that the asbestos industry deliberately hid the dangers of asbestos and engaged in a cover-up.

The first United States lawsuit for compensation for disease caused by asbestos was filed in 1929 by someone who developed mesothelioma due to exposure at work. Since then, asbestos litigation has become the longest running tort litigation in US history. Billions of dollars have been paid out by negligent asbestos manufacturers, and numerous asbestos manufacturers have declared bankruptcy as a result of judgments.

One of the most important asbestos cases is Bell v. Dresser Industries, Inc. In Dresser, five men with mesothelioma who worked for US Pipe in Alabama claimed that Dresser Industries, Inc. allowed them to be exposed to asbestos, even though it knew asbestos caused cancer. The plaintiffs were awarded $130 million in damages. The jury found that Dresser Industries, Inc. was negligent, that it supplied the men with defective products, and that it inadequately warned them as to the products’ danger.

Another important case was Borel v. Fibreboard Paper Products, Corporation. In this product liability case the court found that Fibreboard was negligent in its duty to warn Clarence Borel, a man who worked with industrial insulation from 1936 to 1969, of the dangers in using their product. Borel died of mesothelioma before the verdict, and the court found in favor of his widow.

The California courts have decided a recent case, Cundiff v. Alfa Laval, et.al. In this May, 2009 verdict, a Los Angeles court awarded Charles Cundiff 12.1 million dollars in damages. Cundiff was a serviceman with the United States Navy who was exposed to asbestos in the 1960’s in his job as a naval machinist. As a result of this exposure, Cundiff developed mesothelioma. The Los Angeles court determined that the manufacturer of the asbestos product, John Crane Inc., and the supplier, Lone Star Industries, failed to warn workers of the health risks associated with exposure to their products and failed to recommend protective equipment. As a result of these failures, the companies were negligent.

As new cases of mesothelioma appear more lawsuits will be filed and more victims will be compensated. The US government has considered setting up an asbestos victims fund, but so far, no such fund has materialized.