A Trust Fund Victims Can't Trust
John Koke’s story
Franksville, Wisconsin. John died in January 2005 from mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused only by asbestos. His malignant cancer was the result of more than 40 years of asbestos exposure.
John Koke was an asbestos worker from 1954 to 1997. In the 1950s, he worked in a number of factories in Wisconsin. In the 1960s, he worked at schools in northern Illinois. And in the 1970s, he worked in jails, mental institutions, and hospitals in Illinois.
After his retirement, John ran a game farm. He raised pheasants and enjoyed birding as a hobby. He and his wife, Rosalie, took long vacations together two or three times each year. The Kokes were married for 48 years before John’s untimely passing. They had six children.
How would the asbestos bailout bill hurt John’s family?
If the proposed asbestos bill passes, Rosalie’s case, filed in Wisconsin State Court in Milwaukee County, would be wiped out. She would have to start the claims process again from the very beginning under the proposed asbestos trust fund.
