Texas Asbestos Lawsuit History
Many companies have been bankrupt because of the asbestos lawsuits filed by the victims. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help you obtain compensation.
Experts in the health field have warned for decades about the dangers asbestos exposure. Industry leaders have downplayed the dangers. As time went on, asbestos-related diseases became more common.
The Third Case
Asbestos lawsuits really began to gain momentum in the 1970s after research studies began to link asbestos with serious illnesses such as mesothelioma or asbestosis. Because asbestos-related diseases don't typically manifest until years after exposure, tens of thousands of lawsuits were filed. Many of these claims were brought in Texas where favorable laws made it an ideal venue for this litigation inferno.
Johns Manville was the leading producer during the 1940s and 1950s of asbestos products. Birmingham asbestos lawsuit had a significant impact on asbestos litigation. In the 1980s, it was brought to be known that the company's chief executive Lewis Brown prioritized company profits over the health of his employees. The testimony of a deposition revealed that he was heavily influenced by his company's chief medical advisor Dr. Russell Budd. Budd was a doctor who was known for his callous disregard for employees' health, was a well-known figure.
The evidence proved that Johns Manville knew about the dangers of asbestos and did not take any action to protect its workers. The court found that the company is liable for damages if workers later develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. The court also decided that the company was liable for the families of deceased workers.
After the decision in Borel, many asbestos victims and their families sought compensation from companies who used asbestos as a material. The majority of the claims were denied for a variety reasons. Certain cases were allowed to continue and the courts came up with a set of guidelines for the handling of asbestos-related suits.
In the 1990s asbestos defendants were seeking legal rulings to limit their liability. They wanted to argue that asbestos materials were not component of their product and therefore they should not be held responsible for injuries caused by people who employed with asbestos. The claims were not successful, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to recognize the "asbestos product" defense.
Today, a mesothelioma victim's right to pursue compensation from parties responsible in a case is protected by federal and state law. Insurance companies continue to fight these claims.