Asbestos Litigation

Asbestos litigation is the longest-running mass tort litigation in U.S. history. Through 2002, approximately 730,000 individuals have brought claims against some 8,400 business entities, and defendants and insurers have spent a total of $70 billion on litigation. Building on previous RAND briefings, the authors report on what happened to those who have claimed injury from asbestos, what happened to the defendants in those cases, and how lawyers and judges have managed the cases.

Examines the dimensions of current asestos litigation and the potential future effects of the litigation on the U.S. economy.

Of the report of the Judicial Conference Ad Hoc Committee on Asbestos Litigation -- Report of the Judicial Conference Ad Hoc Committee on Asbestos Litigation -- Separate dissenting statement of Judge Thomas F. Hogan to report of the Judicial Conference Ad Hoc Committee on Asbestos Litigation.

Written by one of the leading asbestos experts for attorneys, occupational and environmental health professionals, and others in the field of toxic substances control, this updated resource provides a comprehensive examination of the public health history of asbestos. Includes extensive discussion of corporate knowledge and responsibility for asbestos hazards and detailed discussion of alternatives to asbestos.

Analyzes the costs and compensation paid for asbestos personal-injury claims and discussess such issues as the current state of asbestos litigation in the United States, the costs of compensation, the effects if litigation in the businesses, and theevolving character of litigation.