Year: 2026

Homeowners may be at risk of exposure to asbestos due to the insulation either in the attic or wrapped around wire or pipes. In addition to the low cost of asbestos insulation, it has insulating characteristics that make it exceptionally useful in home application. Asbestos insulation is light and can be installed without difficulty into confining spaces such as residential attics. Asbestos fibers in vermiculite are too small to be seen by the naked eye so only a trained technician with a microscope can see asbestos fibers.

For several years now, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been battling numerous lawsuits from tens of thousands of people who claim its talc-based products, including its well-known baby powder, caused mesothelioma and ovarian cancer due to asbestos contamination. The company has previously attempted to resolve the claims through bankruptcy, which is mainly viewed as a controversial move given that it’s one of the most profitable companies in the world. Two previous bankruptcy filings were thrown out in New Jersey and Philadelphia, but the company remains relentless.

Exposure to asbestos fibers can lead to the development of mesothelioma which is a form of cancer. The most common form is pleural mesothelioma, which develops in the tissue surrounding the lungs. More than 2,000 people are diagnosed with this form of cancer each year. It is possible to file a lawsuit against those responsible for your exposure to asbestos fibers. The possible modes of recovery include a settlement, winning the lawsuit, or, if the company has filed for bankruptcy, successfully making a trust fund claim.

A recent report by Klamath Falls, Oregon-based Herald and News sheds light on the plight of one North Ridge couple struggling to cope with the impact of a 12-year-old asbestos contamination clean up in the backyard of the husband and wife’s dream retirement home. According to the article, officials with the clean up effort promised the couple a two-to-three-year time period to complete the project, but the initiative has lingered on for over a decade.

A jury in Portland, Oregon recently handed down a significant verdict in an asbestos cancer lawsuit brought by a man with lung cancer and his wife who claim that gasket maker John Crane Inc. knew its products contained deadly asbestos fibers but did nothing to prevent exposure to the substance. The jury awarded the plaintiffs approximately $5.4 million as compensation for medical bills, loss of consortium, lost income, and punitive damages to punish John Crane Inc. and deter other powerful companies from putting the public at risk.

For purposes of this article, the victim in this case will be referred to as Mr. R.D. In a recent court decision, Justice Adam Silvera of the New York Supreme Court denied two printing press companies’ motions to dismiss the mesothelioma claims filed against them. The two printing press companies tried to escape liability for the deceased victim’s asbestos exposure between the 1960s and 1980s. Justice Adam Silvera ruled that the victim’s testimony was strong enough to allow the case to proceed. The victim in this case, Mr. R.D., was a printing press operator from the 1960s to the 1980s.