In the recent bill to Senate considering the asbestos compensation fund, there has been some expanding of the people allowed to receive a portion of the fund based on the manner in which they were poisoned. The asbestos shaken into the air during the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina severely harmed many rescue workers and volunteers who were close to the incidents, and this new expansion of the bill allowed them to benefit from their injuries. The limits of the bill are still extending outward as new adjustments are in consideration.
Now people may be able to benefit from the fund based on the type of injury they received. A recent study provided evidence that asbestos poisoning can also cause cancer of the larynx, with a possibility of also damaging the stomach and colon. The carcinogenic substance had already been widely known for its connection with lung cancer and mesothelioma, situations which were taken into account in the development of the bill. The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet tomorrow to consider revising the ever-expanding bill.
The bill could mean problems for the American public, however, as the scope of victims allowed to benefit from the $140 billion fund grows. This compensation cache may be bursting at the seams from the pressure, allowing many injured people to slip through uncompensated, injured, and suffering. Without an available court venue to justify themselves in, victims of asbestos may only receive what unconnected government officials think they should.
If you or someone you know has been injured by a toxic substance such as asbestos or lead paint, please feel free to contact a personal injury lawyer.
