Earlier this year the US Senate considered a bill to set up a special fund to compensate the sufferers of illnesses resulting from exposure to asbestos.
Materials containing asbestos were used extensively in building and construction from the beginning of the twentieth century until they were banned in the 1970’s. Inhaling tiny particles of asbestos is known to be the cause of a number of debilitating and often fatal illnesses, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer (See http:///www.mesothelioma-online-info.com). Building materials manufacturers have been aware of the risks as far back as the 1920’s, but have been slow to take action to protect workers, preferring to put profit making interests ahead of health and safety.
A recent study of federal mortality records has revealed the alarming extent of the asbestos illness epidemic. Over 40,000 Americans have already died from the effects of asbestos exposure, and numbers are escalating.
The proposed Senate bill may seem like a fair and efficient way to ensure victims receive the compensation they are entitled to, but opponents believe it is critically flawed. While bans on the use of asbestos and protection measures for workers in asbestos contaminated building sites have been in force since the mid 1970’s, the full effect of the asbestos related disease epidemic will only be felt in the decades to come. Symptoms of mesothelioma and asbestosis only manifest themselves 30 to 50 years after exposure, or perhaps even longer. The proposed bill may be sufficient to compensate victims who have already been diagnosed with the disease, and families of victims who have already died, but gives no guarantee of support to the many thousands of sufferers who will show up in the years to come. Researchers believe asbestos related illness is a health crisis which is still far from reaching its peak.
If the bill is passed, manufacturers of asbestos products will effectively be shielded from further legal claims by victims and their families.
Author: Sufi Fanning
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