Will Rise in Asian Asbestos Disease Rate Impact U.S. Firms, Victims?

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced last weekend that asbestos-related lung diseases – such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer – are expected to rise sharply in Asia during the next twenty years. Dr. Ken Takahashi, acting director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational Health, and his fellow researchers conducted a survey of 47 Asian countries, finding that asbestos use in Asia has increased from 33 percent in the 1970s to 64 percent in the 2000s. Today, an estimated 107,000 people worldwide die from asbestos-related illnesses every year. Even more sobering, however, Takahashi and his colleagues worry that deaths could spike starting in 2030.

Some legal experts speculate that laws such as the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) may provide international asbestos victims, like those in Asia, with a venue to prosecute their claims against U.S. asbestos producers. Will the claims of foreign plaintiffs impact U.S. victims? They could. For many firms, when claims overwhelm assets, the business will file bankruptcy. As a result, the recovery for asbestos victims could be capped!

Need to find out more about the health effects and legal consequences of asbestos? Talk to the experts at Fears | Nachawati today. For a free consultation, call us at 1.866.705.7584 or send us an email at info@fnlawfirm.com. We can help you!