Asbestos use in America has resulted in suffering for hundreds of thousands of people. From respiratory illnesses to Mesothelioma, the impact of Asbestos has touched countless lives. Sadly, it’s devastating effects could have been prevented.

The connection between asbestos and respiratory illnesses became known as early as the 1930s. At that time, doctors warned factory owners, mine owners and asbestos manufacturers of the dangers associated with asbestos. Despite warnings, these industries continued to expose workers to asbestos without providing them adequate protective equipment to protect them from breathing in toxic asbestos fibers.

The Big Corporate Cover-Up

Through the years, asbestos manufacturers continued to cover up asbestos-related diseases among their employees, sometimes offering payments to employees experiencing asbestos-related health issues, in exchange for their silence. Putting profits ahead of the safety of their workers, the asbestos industry suppressed research it had funded that demonstrated a link between asbestos and cancer. Eventually, however, the results of independent scientific studies were too much to ignore and, in the 1970s, the U.S. government began regulating asbestos use.

Thousands of documents have since come to light—many as a result of asbestos lawsuits—which clearly prove asbestos executives’ knowledge of the dangers of asbestos and their efforts to hide these hazards from the public for decades. For example, in the early 1940s, the president of Johns-Manville called the managers of another company “a bunch of fools for notifying employees who had asbestosis.” When asked by another corporation’s representative, “Do you mean to tell me you would let them work until they drop dead?” he responded, “Yes. We save a lot of money that way.” And in 1966, an executive with Bendix Corporation wrote, “My answer to the problem is: if you have enjoyed a good life while working with asbestos products why not die from it. There’s got to be some cause.”

Mesothelioma Lawsuits

The exposure of corporate cover-ups led to an increase in mesothelioma and asbestos lawsuits. Asbestos lawsuits provide justice to the innocent sufferers of deadly diseases, such as mesothelioma, whose diseases were caused by asbestos companies’ callous disregard for human life. It is not just employees of asbestos manufacturers who were affected. Asbestos was widely used in workplaces across the country, including factories, schools and hospitals, and in products as common as roofing, flooring, and motor vehicle brakes.

The tragic conclusion one must reach when assessing the history of asbestos in America is that most of the harm it caused was preventable. Throughout the twentieth century, doctors connected a number of diseases to the negative effects of asbestos contamination. Yet, despite knowing the dangers, companies continued to manufacture, sell and design asbestos products.

St. Germain Asbestos Lawyer: About the Author

Daniel Overbey represents mesothelioma patients and their families, and has successfully negotiated multi-million dollar asbestos & mesothelioma settlements.*  Unlike many mesothelioma attorneys you may see on tv, Daniel is a local asbestos attorney, living in Arbor Vitae, and working at our office in Wausau, Wisconsin.  His experience with mesothelioma and asbestos lawsuits began when he worked with a large law firm in Chicago.  Through this experience, Daniel aligned himself with a team mesothelioma attorneys that has represented victims of mesothelioma cancer throughout the United States, including the state of Wisconsin.  This team has represented thousands of families affected by mesothelioma and asbestos-related cancer and has recovered over $5 billion in verdicts and settlements for mesothelioma victims and their families — over $187 million for mesothelioma victims in the state of Wisconsin alone.*

Daniel is dedicated to giving our clients the best representation possible.  If you are looking for a St. Germain asbestos lawyer, you get the best of both worlds:  a local, St. Germain asbestos lawyer with small-firm personal service and availability, supported by a team of over 50 mesothelioma attorneys with the resources and experience necessary to represent individuals and families against large companies in this complex area of litigation.

If you have mesothelioma, contact our Northwoods asbestos lawyer for a free case evaluation.

* Please note that recovery results vary per client. The recovery amounts in asbestos lawsuits reflect the specific facts of that case. Further, recovery amounts in past cases are not a guarantee of future results.