The real crisis regarding asbestos exposure in the workplace is not potential litigation but the number of victims who contract the deadly disease Mesothelioma.
Supporters of the bill propose to set up a $140 billion dollar asbestos compensation fund, but it is doubtful if even an all out effort this week will bring the bill to a vote on the floor of the US Senate.
As Kennedy states victims suing the companies who exposed their loved ones to this disease did not create the costs. The costs, which include lost productivity, medical, care, along with payments to provide basic living needs for family members who died years before their time.
A shifting of financial burden to the victims and their families is, according to Kennedy unacceptable.
Kennedy recognizes the efforts by Senators Specter and Leahy who are in favor of passage of the bill. That said it has several fundamental flaws, which make it an unreasonable solution to the pending crisis.
Kennedy states our first obligation is to do no harm. Argument that there are certain inadequacies regarding how current asbestos litigation is handled should not be the major thrust toward passage of this bill.
Government intervention is the concern voiced across the nation by potential victims of this deadly disease. If the fund were to liquidate over time all potential damages would be in question. What rights would victims have in a legal setting to seek compensation from the offending companies?
If you or a loved one has been exposed to mesothelioma contact a mesothelioma lawyer to help you pick up the pieces
