LawFuel.com – The issue of mesothelioma victims and mesothelioma tort law has become a massive body of law, described by the LA Times this week as “the largest body of mass tort litigation in the US – and it’s a monstosity”.
An article in MesotheliomaHelp blog indicates how mesothelioma attorneys have perhaps caused more problems with legal wrangles than the victims could ever have deserved.
MesotheliomaHelp reports:
Today, asbestos litigation is the longest running mass tort in U.S. history. Thousands of people have filed lawsuits against corporate defendants over mesothelioma, asbestosis or other asbestos-related diseases.
Mesothelioma lawsuits have been met with mixed reactions from the public, politicians and legal analysts alike. Some politicians, pressured by corporate lobbyists, are asking for caps to be placed on the damages awarded for asbestos claims. Others are siding with legal experts, claiming the victims deserve the maximum awards available to compensate them and their families for the suffering they have endured.
Regardless of the ongoing debate, mesothelioma lawsuits are a very real part of the justice system. In fact, according to an article in Sunday’s LA Times, “today, asbestos cases constitute the largest body of mass tort litigation in the U.S. And it’s a monstrosity.”
Mesothelioma Victim Dies During California Lawsuit Trial
Unfortunately, as the article points out, some of the lawyers defending the corporations may be prolonging litigation, leading to lower payouts after victims die. This is yet another tragedy of mesothelioma – the victims of the disease also become victims of legal wrangling.
In the article, author Michael Hiltzik points to a recent mesothelioma case where John Johnson of California, gravely ill with mesothelioma, was forced to sit through over 25 hours of depositions by the defendants’ legal team. When the initial 20 hours were depleted, the defendants requested an additional five hours, over the “plaintiffs strenuous objections,” according to the article. Johnson answered every question asked of him, all while his health rapidly declined. Johnson died one day after completing his testimony.
