Media outlets struggle to report on asbestos lawsuits

We expect news sources to be objective and include facts about the stories that affect us. However, news is not always black and white, and neither is the coverage. This may be the case as some news outlets struggle to report on the hundreds of thousands of asbestos claims and wrongful death lawsuits that have been filed in recent years.

Take, for example, a recent column in The Huffington Post. The article has critical take on a different column posted in The Wall Street Journal. Both columns discuss the roughly 85 new asbestos claims that are made every day, but they have a very different stance on the alleged fraud that has been reported, as well as the availability of trusts for victims of asbestos exposure.

In terms of fraud, take a look at the claims that people had made asserting that they were under the age of 12 when they were exposed to asbestos. The Wall Street Journal article questions the validity of these claims, considering the victims were too young to have been in the workforce. However, in The Huffington Post column, readers are reminded that young children were often exposed to asbestos when their parent would come home covered in the dust, transferring the toxic substance to anyone else in the home.

On the matter of the funds that are available to victims of asbestos exposure, The Wall Street Journal column reportedly cautions that the funds are depleting quite rapidly due payouts on fraudulent claims. However, other sources argue that there is no such shortage of funds that are available to victims of asbestos-related illnesses.

It can be very frustrating and disconcerting for victims to read asbestos-related news stories and feel as though they are not getting the full story. This is common, as different media outlets have different levels of understanding when it comes to specific issues related to asbestos. It is also true that every case involving asbestos exposure is different. There are certainly similarities and trends that can be identified, but people must remember that every case is unique. People who have developed asbestosis or mesothelioma, or people who have lost loved ones because of these illnesses, can speak with an attorney who has a wider understanding of the ways in which people are exposed and affected by asbestos.

Source: The Huffington Post, “Do Asbestos Victims Deserve Compensation? And Other Questions the Wall Street Journal Never Asks,” Brian Young, March 18, 2013

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