Have you noticed how much the Republican incumbent, U.S. Senator Scott Brown, and his Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren, have been talking about asbestos and Travelers Insurance during their Massachusetts Senate campaigns? In fact, not counting legal advertisements, have you ever heard the word asbestos mentioned on television as much as it has been in the last few months? We certainly haven't.
However, at Sokolove Law we are pleased to see that asbestos and the impact that asbestos exposure has on working-class families is finally getting public attention. No matter who wins in November, Sokolove Law would like to thank the candidates for bringing asbestos into the political spotlight.
Asbestos causes lung cancer and other diseases that kill tens of thousands of people every year. Mesothelioma is an incurable form of cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure and it alone affects thousands of American families annually. Because the illness has such a long latency period and sometimes takes decades before showing any symptoms, its victims are often unaware that they are suffering from this deadly cancer until it is simply too late to treat it effectively.
Many corporations that produced deadly asbestos products, and put their profits ahead of people's safety, turned to the courts for protection under bankruptcy laws when victims of their greed began holding them accountable. The courts gave them protection but first forced these companies to put aside money to pay those suffering from asbestos-related diseases. This led to the establishment of 55 asbestos trusts that set aside more than $30 billion in trust money for victims of asbestos diseases.
More than 30 years after the establishment of the first trust, these asbestos trusts are still paying compensation to those who have been affected by asbestos-related diseases.
In the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race the asbestos issue has led to partisan claims regarding how Elizabeth Warren played a role in litigation involving asbestos trusts. Democrats claim her efforts were helping asbestos victims by fighting to put more money in the trusts. Republicans say that her efforts worked against the best interest of asbestos victims and benefited the insurance companies and asbestos companies instead.
Let the politicians debate who is right or wrong when it comes to this issue in the Massachusetts Senate race. The bottom line is this: People should know there is still legal help out there for those injured by asbestos.
At Sokolove Law, we would like you to remember that real people have been affected by asbestos exposure, and they should always have access to legal help in order to get the justice and compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one have been affected by asbestos exposure or mesothelioma and need legal help, call Sokolove Law in Massachusetts for a free legal consultation today.
