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A study performed by the Environmental Working Group revealed that over ten thousands Americans each year die from asbestos-related diseases – a higher mortality rate than that of fires and drowning added together. And the study concluded that another 100,000 asbestos related deaths are expected in the next decade.
It was also revealed that over 43,000 have died so far since 1979 through exposure to asbestos, and that over a million US workers are still exposed to this deadly material each year. Asbestos lawsuits and compensation claims are thought to have cost the asbestos industry and other responsible bodies over seventy billion dollars.
This litigation and the compensation payouts have also resulted in bankruptcy for many US asbestos and related firms, who have been forced to pay out millions to victims of this disease.
The Senate tried to push through a bill that would regulate compensation claims by placing a ceiling limit on payouts, and placing far more stringent criteria on rights to claim. However, many thought that this bill would fail both victims and their families in many ways, and that the bill was more concerned about keeping the responsible companies and manufacturers solvent. The bill failed to be passed in April this year.
In the meantime, the Environmental Working Group has stated that the government needs to ban all asbestos products immediately, and that a solution to care for current and future victims needs to be established.
