Research on Asbestos Poisoning and Proposed Trust Fund

Bates White: There is a Substantial Financial Shortfall with Proposed Asbestos Fund

September 2005— The research and consulting firm Bates White predicts the proposed asbestos trust fund of $140 billion will fail in the first three years. Shut out of the courts, victims who are sick and dying will receive no help to cope with the devastating health and financial consequences of their asbestos poisoning. Read more.

CBO Report Confirms Proposed Asbestos Fund is Under-funded, Untested, & Unfair

August 2005— A new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of S. 852, the proposed national asbestos trust fund, confirms the fundamental flaws with the proposal that victims, public health experts, independent claims analysts, and Senators on both sides of the aisle have been pointing out for months. In particular, the CBO concluded that over the first ten years the fund will fall nearly $8 billion short in revenues and would have to borrow money to pay qualified asbestos claims. Read the press release.

Workers Exposed to Libby Vermiculite Ore Have High Rate of Chest Wall Abnormalities

May 2005— More than one-quarter of tested workers at an Ohio manufacturing plant historically exposed to asbestos-containing vermiculite ore exhibited signs of scarring of the chest wall lining, or pleural plaques, which are usually considered markers of previous exposure to asbestos fibers, according to research from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Read more.

New Research Shows Proposed Trust Fund Would Leave Behind 33,000 Victims

April 2005— The U.S. Senate's latest scheme to limit the liability of asbestos makers would cut benefits dramatically to people dying of the fatal asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, and pre-empt laws in 12 states, and court customs in at least 8 more, that guarantee a speedy trial to terminally ill plaintiffs. Read more.

US Action Says Proposed Trust Fund Insufficient

April 2005— According to a report released by USAction today, past compensation legislation similar to that currently being proposed for asbestos victims has ended up hurting victims and costing tax-payers due to cost overruns. Read more.

Past Asbestos Reports & Studies