The Texas State Senate has passed legislation that could potentially benefit thousands of those who have developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure.
Texas Senate Bill 1123, sponsored by Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, will essentially expand plaintiff’s ability to collect compensation for their disease from asbestos manufacturers by lowering the burden of proof required to demonstrate that mesothelioma was caused by asbestos exposure.
Plaintiffs will no longer be required to demonstrate that the amount of asbestos to which they were exposed was sufficient enough to cause mesothelioma.
The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center wishes to voice our support for the passage of this bill, as many of those suffering from mesothelioma who were previously ineligible for compensation will now have access to these damages.
Causation between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure is clear. There is no safe level of exposure. Inhaled asbestos fibers are microscopic and lodge easily in the lining of the lungs and abdomen. One or two fibers could potentially cause the type of malignant tissue plaques from which mesothelioma develops. There is no other known cause of mesothelioma. Any exposure should be valid enough cause for victims to collect compensation for their injuries.
Exposed Texans, in particular, stand to benefit, as the Texas shipbuilding and other industries have been recognized as some of the primary asbestos exposure jobsites in the United States. Products used at shipyards such as Consolidated Western Steel and Orange Shipbuilding are known to have caused mesothelioma in many of the workers at these and other similar jobsites.
People who develop mesothelioma are entitled to compensation for their injuries not only to provide for their families, but also so they may access the best treatment options, like the research and clinical trials Dr. John Heymach is conducting at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer and treatment regimens can be extremely expensive.
For further information about mesothelioma cancer, please visit the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center. MAACenter.org is accredited by the Health On The Net Foundation and is recognized as a reliable source of information by DisabilityInfo.gov.
