October 21, 2002—An asbestos trial involving 259 defendants—including major corporations such as ExxonMobil and Honeywell International—began in late September in West Virginia. Most of the defendants have since reached out-of-court settlements with the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit comprises the cases of 8,000 people who say they were exposed to asbestos through the defendants’ products or premises. In the last three years, the number of asbestos lawsuits has been increasing, forcing about fifty US corporations into bankruptcy because of related liabilities.
Nationwide, there are some 200,000 pending asbestos claims, according to a report from the Associated Press. Many of the companies being sued did not make asbestos but used it in a range of products, such as car brake linings.
Asbestos is a mineral that was widely used for fireproofing and insulation until the 1970s, when its use was curtailed after scientists linked inhaled asbestos fibers to lung cancer and other diseases.
Based on reports from the Associated Press.
