How lawyers fight the asbestos industry’s cover-up

In our last two posts, we discussed the wide-spread attempts by the asbestos industry to hide from the public the truth about the health hazards of asbestos. In this post, we are going to show how aggressive lawyers who are committed to the welfare of their clients have developed techniques to meet and defeat the asbestos industry’s cover-up.

Perhaps the single most difficult aspect of an asbestos product liability case is the determination of which manufacturer’s products the plaintiff was exposed to. By sharing information from many cases, attorneys seeking damages on behalf of asbestos exposure victims were able to identify the leading suppliers of raw asbestos and the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products such as boiler and pipe insulation, acoustic ceiling tiles, shingles, brake linings, valve gaskets and spray-on fireproofing. The network of plaintiffs’ asbestos lawyers has also identified knowledgeable scientists and physicians who can persuasively testify about the medical hazards of asbestos. Once the possible defendants have been identified, the next issue is the plaintiff’s medical history.

Asbestos has been identified as the only cause of a deadly form of lung cancer known as mesothelioma, and it also causes asbestosis and other forms of lung cancer. Most of these diseases are ultimately fatal, but they also cause difficulty with breathing, extreme shortness of breath and pain. These diseases usually end the victim’s career (if the victim has not already retired or become disabled). The plaintiff’s attorney will collect all of the pertinent medical records, arrange for a thorough examination, and meet with the client’s doctors to gather every detail of the illness.

The lawyers at Wallace & Graham have devoted many years to representing persons suffering from various asbestos related diseases. The firm has developed a large library of industrial, scientific and medical information that it uses to provide first class legal representation to all of its clients. If a person or a loved one is suffering from the symptoms if a disease linked to asbestos, a consultation with an attorney at Wallace & Graham can provide a helpful evaluation of the case and an estimate of the likelihood of recovering damages for medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering.