HISTORY OF ASBESTOS

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that has been used throughout history in a variety of applications from ancient table linens to industrial products. Asbestos was most often used by manufacturing facilities in insulation and related building materials because it conducts heat well and is highly resistant to burning or melting.

Industry Presence

Although asbestos is no longer widely used in construction, asbestos-containing products already in place continue to pose a threat, as a single exposure to very low doses of fibers can produce serious long-term health consequences. Exposure to asbestos dust can occur in major construction job sites, shipyards, industrial settings, and during construction or renovation of homes, schools, or public buildings. Miners, factory workers, insulation manufacturers, railroad workers, ship builders, gas mask manufacturers, and construction workers, particularly those involved with installing insulation, are among the many industrial workers who may exposed to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos is not limited to the workplace. Exposure can also be environmental or familial by household contamination.

Litigation History

Motley Rice attorneys have long fought for the rights of workers and their loved ones who have suffered due to asbestos-related diseases. In 1978, Motley Rice LLC co-founder Ron Motley first introduced into evidence the infamous Sumner Simpson files and exposed the fact that asbestos manufacturers knew as early as 1935 that asbestos caused disabling damage to the lungs. From his small Barnwell, South Carolina, office, Ron called every plaintiffs' attorney he knew and offered to share the evidence for the mere cost of photocopying. He continued to research and investigate asbestos and the medical facts of asbestos-related diseases and was eventually asked to both contribute to several medical journals and serve as guest speaker at numerous medical conferences. Since then, Ron and other Motley Rice attorneys have represented thousands exposed to and harmed by asbestos throughout the United States and Canada.

Company Liability

Companies that manufactured, distributed, and/or supplied asbestos-containing products knew, or should have known, that the products they were unleashing on the unsuspecting workforce and general public would result in the epidemic of disease realized today.

Documentation from as early as the 1930s demonstrated the health hazards of asbestos exposure and the long latency period from the point of exposure to the development of disease. Despite having direct knowledge that the products they were making could cause disease and death, many companies decided to put profits over lives and added asbestos fibers to their manufacturing processes. Some companies used asbestos in a broad range of products, increased production of existing product lines, or began to produce asbestos-containing products even after having been directly advised by medical experts that asbestos exposure could cause lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. As they took these actions, companies frequently failed to establish necessary preventative safety measures or adequately protect their employees from asbestos exposure.

Noteworthy Asbestos Cases

Since pioneering asbestos litigation in the late 1970s, Motley Rice lawyers have represented more than 96,000 clients who have suffered from asbestos-related diseases. Over 3,000 of those have been victims of mesothelioma. Below are some noteworthy asbestos and mesothelioma cases involving Motley Rice attorneys who have worked on behalf of asbestos victims: