The Asbestos Alliance | History of the Asbestos Issue

Why We're Here

America faces an asbestos litigation crisis that has dragged on for decades and continues to take its toll on the sick and their families. The Supreme Court has called three times for Congressional action to solve the asbestos crisis, so far without success. Today, hundreds of thousands of asbestos claims clog the courts with tens of thousands of new claims filed every year. While those who have become sick from an asbestos-containing product certainly must receive compensation, too many people who are not yet sick and may never become ill are filing claims. If something is not done soon to resolve the asbestos litigation crisis, compensation for the truly sick will be jeopardized now and in the future.

Those who have become sick from asbestos-containing products are the real victims of this situation, but the problem has affected the lives of others too. Employees, retirees and shareholders of defendant companies, whose jobs and savings are jeopardized or lost, are also hurt by the rising tide of asbestos litigation. The financial burden on the companies — that have already paid out over $70 billion in settlements and court costs — is great and growing.

How did we get to this point? Millions of workers were exposed to asbestos on the job. From the first wave of known injuries, a tide of asbestos personal injury litigation followed, reaching the courts in the 1970s. The pace of these lawsuits picked up greatly during the 1980s and 1990s. Today, there are more than 200,000 asbestos claims pending and 100,000 new claims filed in 2003, choking state and federal courts. And the problem will not go away. While the vast majority of workers exposed to asbestos may never contract an asbestos-related illness, when illness does occur it can arise decades after exposure.

Why the System Doesn't Work