Joseph Agiato, Beasley Allen Law Firm Supports Asbestos Ban
Montgomery, AL (PRWeb) March 7, 2007 -- Tom Methvin, President of Beasley
Allen Law Firm in Montgomery Alabama, announced the firm's support of the Ban
Asbestos in America Act.
"Senator Patty Murray (D-WASH) has been working on this very important piece
of legislation for over 5 years now and we support this amendment [to the Toxic
Substances Control Act because we believe it addresses 3 very important issues
- a complete ban of asbestos-containing products, research and treatment, and
education," Tom said.
If enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in its current state,
the bill would:
(1) Establish a ban on asbestos that would prohibit companies from
manufacturing, processing or distributing asbestos-containing products;
(2) Earmark $1,000,000 each year for Mesothelioma research and treatment
centers; and
(3) Implement a program to increase public awareness of the dangers posed
by asbestos-containing products.
"Mesothelioma litigation has been highly politicized, but the simple fact is:
Exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma and asbestosis. All you have to do is
compare a map of locations that received asbestos shipments |Figure 1| to a map
showing asbestos-related mortality rates |Figure 2|. The terrible truth just
jumps out at you."
Ten thousand Americans die each year from mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other
asbestos-caused diseases - a number approaching 30 deaths per day - according
to a detailed analysis of government mortality records and epidemiological
studies. Even more disturbing is the fact that death from mesothelioma and
asbestosis is on the rise. If the increase continues at its current rate we can
expect 22,000 deaths from asbestosis and 35,000 deaths from mesothelioma over
the next decade.
"Our law firm has handled mesothelioma lawsuits for many years now, so we have
seen the devastating effects these asbestos-caused diseases have on families.
We also have first-hand knowledge that the industry has hid the dangers
associated with asbestos exposure for decades. Internal documents from the
asbestos manufacturers themselves prove beyond any doubt that they are culpable
for the death and great personal injury to their own employees."
"The documents noted above, however, show corporate knowledge of the dangers
associates with exposure to asbestos dating back to 1934. In addition, the
plaintiffs' bar will probably take the position - not unreasonably - that the
documents are evidence of a corporate conspiracy to prevent asbestos workers
from learning that their exposure to asbestos could kill them."
- Memo from a trustee of the Manville Trust, 1988 ||
The 1966 comments of the Director of Purchasing for Bendix Corporation (now
part of Honeywell) capture the utter disregard of an industry for its
workforce. This disdain is expressed over and over again in company documents
spanning the past 60 years.
"...if you have enjoyed a good life while working with asbestos products, why
not die from it."
- 1966 Bendix Corporation letter ||
Tom Methvin is available for comments and can be reached at 800-898-2034.
Learn more about the current state of .
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