https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeXWgKtBzzc Asbestos Litigation Asbestos litigation is often complex and time-consuming. Lawsuits involve multiple defendants and discovery can be costly and time consuming; and statutes of limitations vary by state. Lawyers for mesothelioma need to establish that the victim was exposed to asbestos and was diagnosed with a disease related to asbestos, like lung cancer, mesothelioma or another disease. They also must establish the damages caused by that exposure. Asbestos Litigation History In the early 20th century, the first asbestos lawsuits were filed in the US. Researchers had already discovered in the 1960s that exposure to asbestos could cause mesothelioma and asbestosis, in addition to other serious diseases. However companies that mined and produced asbestos were slow to respond. In general the law, producers of a hazardous product notify consumers. In the early years of litigation, victims' families and plaintiffs fought to receive the compensation they deserved. In order to receive compensation plaintiffs had to fight insurance companies and asbestos producers. Many asbestos companies were able to avoid lawsuits after declaring bankruptcy. The bankruptcy survivors were forced into funding special trusts that paid compensation to victims for pennies per dollar. This limited the number of claimants as well as reduced the amount of damages that victims could claim in the court. Over the years, attorneys have been able prove that many asbestos producers knew about the dangers their products posed. Some even tried to conceal this knowledge from the public. These instances have revealed that certain firms were willing to put profits ahead of the safety of the public. Ward Stephenson, an attorney in the US was the first attorney to file an asbestos product lawsuit in the year 1969 on behalf of Claude Tomplait. Tomplait was a captain of a ship and worked at oil refineries close to the border between Louisiana and Texas. He was diagn