I am deaply hurt that a bill even exist but the fact remains that large industry will do anything to protect itself. My father died three years ago with mesothelioma and lived only three days after coming home from the hospital from lung surgery. My mother lives on a fixed income and struggles to pay the bills that father never dreamed of leaving her with. They have been involved with this litigation for over ten years and are reaching the close, and just when she has news that the companies will settle with her, this bill stops everything. It is time the people that are responsible for so much illness and death pay, so be it if they bankrupt…my fathers life bankrupted three years ago.
Insurers hate it, trial lawyers hate it but, Republicans like it. Makes sense when you see that the primary beneficiaries are companies like Halliburton which gave us Vice President Dick Cheney. Too bad public policy takes a back seat to political paybacks to big corporate donors and cronies of the Bush/Cheney administration.
Sorry to here about your dad, but you need to hear some of the reasons reform is needed. It’s much more than just protecting big business. There is a terrible wrong being committed by lawsuit abuse, and two wrongs don’t make a right.
So many unsick people have filed asbestos lawsuits that the truely sick can’t get compensation in a timely fashion. Your dad’s 10 year litigation struggle is an example.
In addition, defendent companies that have nothing to do with asbestos have been wrecklessly added to lawsuits by attorneys who care nothing about justice. Only about collecting money. 8,400 firms are known to date to have been served with lawsuits, many of the companies have less than five employees.
Unfortunately asbestos attorneys have been irresponseable along with the many unsick plaintiffs that file false claims.
As for Haliburton, it is already protected. It’s subsidiary company already filed bankruptcy and the law does not allow attachment of the parent company.
THIS BILL MUST BE DEFEATED. ANY POLITICIAN WHO THINKS THAT VICTIMS OF THIS DISEASE ARE RECEIVING TOO MUCH MONEY SHOULD SEE WHAT THIS DISEASE HAS DONE TO MY FATHER. A STRAPPING HEALTHY MAN HAS BECOME A WEAK, SICKLY, DEPRESSED HUMAN BEING. I HOPE THAT ALL THE POLITICIANS REMEMBER THAT THIS DREADFUL DISEASE COULD SOMEDAY AFFECT ONE OF THEIR LOVED ONES. MESOTHELIOMA IS A TERRIBLE TERRIBLE DISEASE WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.
My husband died a horrible death from mesothelioma, caused by asbestos. I received a modest “settlement” on paper, but to date no company is paying what they “offered”, as they are waiting for this terrible bill to be passed! Let the companies with blood on their hands fend for themselves. The government has no business bailing them out. They made profits for 50 years while ingnoring the health of their workers: its time they paid. They talk about losing jobs when actually none are really lost. They file for reorganization, and then go on with business as usual. The court system is what needs to be overhauled. Attorneys that bring bogus claims should lose their license to practice, and Judges should not grant bankrupcy protection to those companies trying to wiggle out of their responsibility. If they want bankrupcy, it should be all the way, and they are out of business, PERIOD. Let a new company take up the slack, one that has not cheated the American people and the government. This bill, as I read it, wipes out all claims that have settled, and makes everyone start over. This just benefits the large corporations, not the victims.
If you have read my previous post, you know I am particularly troubled by the frivolous lawsuits. Those against companies that have nothing to do with asbestos. And don’t forget the plaintiffs that sue even thought they aren’t sick.
But let’s deal with the ligitimate claims. I feel the victims need compensation and they should have it promptly. They should not have to wait years or even weeks. Just prove the case and give them the money.
But one other item on punitive damages. There is no point in getting even. The investors that own companies that previously contributed to asbestos illnesses did not cause this problem. And the managers that run companies that previously contributed to asbestos illnesses did not cause this problem. In fact all the people that contributed to this problem are likely deceased.
At the age of 44, I too was diagnosed with mesothelioma. I was forced into a career change. Once a functioning, contributing member of society, my new career is being a “victim”. Instead of commuting to work, I now travel to doctor appointments, chemo, CT scans, lab tests, prescription refills, etc. Instead of planning for retirement, I plan for a funeral. My husband’s new title will be “widower”. My son is too young to bury his mother & my parents shouldn’t have to bury their child. So what if these companies are folding -they should have thought about corporate murder before they loaded the gun!
Its sad to think that there is so much “crookedness” in our society and people who deserve to be compensated for the pain and suffering from the worst asbestos-related illnesses lose so much more. My Dad who was a hard-working, honest man was exposed to asbestos – now he is living like a vegetable and in extreme pain. His quality of life has been taken away from his family. I hope justice will prevail but the “big guys” always tend to win. To think we should be looking up to our leaders to protect us from any harm – yet their the ones who take away from the needy!!
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I am deaply hurt that a bill even exist but the fact remains that large industry will do anything to protect itself. My father died three years ago with mesothelioma and lived only three days after coming home from the hospital from lung surgery. My mother lives on a fixed income and struggles to pay the bills that father never dreamed of leaving her with. They have been involved with this litigation for over ten years and are reaching the close, and just when she has news that the companies will settle with her, this bill stops everything. It is time the people that are responsible for so much illness and death pay, so be it if they bankrupt…my fathers life bankrupted three years ago.
Insurers hate it, trial lawyers hate it but, Republicans like it. Makes sense when you see that the primary beneficiaries are companies like Halliburton which gave us Vice President Dick Cheney. Too bad public policy takes a back seat to political paybacks to big corporate donors and cronies of the Bush/Cheney administration.
Sorry to here about your dad, but you need to hear some of the reasons reform is needed. It’s much more than just protecting big business. There is a terrible wrong being committed by lawsuit abuse, and two wrongs don’t make a right.
So many unsick people have filed asbestos lawsuits that the truely sick can’t get compensation in a timely fashion. Your dad’s 10 year litigation struggle is an example.
In addition, defendent companies that have nothing to do with asbestos have been wrecklessly added to lawsuits by attorneys who care nothing about justice. Only about collecting money. 8,400 firms are known to date to have been served with lawsuits, many of the companies have less than five employees.
Unfortunately asbestos attorneys have been irresponseable along with the many unsick plaintiffs that file false claims.
As for Haliburton, it is already protected. It’s subsidiary company already filed bankruptcy and the law does not allow attachment of the parent company.
THIS BILL MUST BE DEFEATED. ANY POLITICIAN WHO THINKS THAT VICTIMS OF THIS DISEASE ARE RECEIVING TOO MUCH MONEY SHOULD SEE WHAT THIS DISEASE HAS DONE TO MY FATHER. A STRAPPING HEALTHY MAN HAS BECOME A WEAK, SICKLY, DEPRESSED HUMAN BEING. I HOPE THAT ALL THE POLITICIANS REMEMBER THAT THIS DREADFUL DISEASE COULD SOMEDAY AFFECT ONE OF THEIR LOVED ONES. MESOTHELIOMA IS A TERRIBLE TERRIBLE DISEASE WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.
My husband died a horrible death from mesothelioma, caused by asbestos. I received a modest “settlement” on paper, but to date no company is paying what they “offered”, as they are waiting for this terrible bill to be passed! Let the companies with blood on their hands fend for themselves. The government has no business bailing them out. They made profits for 50 years while ingnoring the health of their workers: its time they paid. They talk about losing jobs when actually none are really lost. They file for reorganization, and then go on with business as usual. The court system is what needs to be overhauled. Attorneys that bring bogus claims should lose their license to practice, and Judges should not grant bankrupcy protection to those companies trying to wiggle out of their responsibility. If they want bankrupcy, it should be all the way, and they are out of business, PERIOD. Let a new company take up the slack, one that has not cheated the American people and the government. This bill, as I read it, wipes out all claims that have settled, and makes everyone start over. This just benefits the large corporations, not the victims.
If you have read my previous post, you know I am particularly troubled by the frivolous lawsuits. Those against companies that have nothing to do with asbestos. And don’t forget the plaintiffs that sue even thought they aren’t sick.
But let’s deal with the ligitimate claims. I feel the victims need compensation and they should have it promptly. They should not have to wait years or even weeks. Just prove the case and give them the money.
But one other item on punitive damages. There is no point in getting even. The investors that own companies that previously contributed to asbestos illnesses did not cause this problem. And the managers that run companies that previously contributed to asbestos illnesses did not cause this problem. In fact all the people that contributed to this problem are likely deceased.
And that’s why a settlement is just.
At the age of 44, I too was diagnosed with mesothelioma. I was forced into a career change. Once a functioning, contributing member of society, my new career is being a “victim”. Instead of commuting to work, I now travel to doctor appointments, chemo, CT scans, lab tests, prescription refills, etc. Instead of planning for retirement, I plan for a funeral. My husband’s new title will be “widower”. My son is too young to bury his mother & my parents shouldn’t have to bury their child. So what if these companies are folding -they should have thought about corporate murder before they loaded the gun!
Its sad to think that there is so much “crookedness” in our society and people who deserve to be compensated for the pain and suffering from the worst asbestos-related illnesses lose so much more. My Dad who was a hard-working, honest man was exposed to asbestos – now he is living like a vegetable and in extreme pain. His quality of life has been taken away from his family. I hope justice will prevail but the “big guys” always tend to win. To think we should be looking up to our leaders to protect us from any harm – yet their the ones who take away from the needy!!