The Asbestos Industry Cover-ups

Asbestos industry cover-ups have occurred many times over the years. The dangers of using asbestos were documented well before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulated its production and use. Yet, when companies that used the hazardous set of minerals became aware of its dangers, many did nothing to prevent workers from exposure.

If you or a loved one have mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related cancer, you may be eligible for a large amount of compensation. Currently, there is over $30 billion in trusts set up for those who have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness. Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensation Packet. You’ll learn about the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in your area, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a claim for the asbestos trust funds, and more.

Hiding the Dangers of Asbestos

Asbestos was discovered to be detrimental to human health in the 1800s. In 1928, physicians coined the medical term asbestosis to describe the lung symptoms resulting from extensive asbestos exposure.

Not long after, an aggregation of businesses that used asbestos and asbestos-containing products began talking internally about its use and its detrimental effects.

Even after consultations and group meetings, the cover-ups continued. In addition, some companies altered the insurance documentation that warned of the dangers of asbestos exposure.

These companies hid the evidence and knew of the inherent risks. Many didn’t even reduce the production and use of asbestos in the slightest bit.

However, by the 1930s, victims started filing lawsuits against their employers after being diagnosed with asbestosis. Companies began settling the lawsuits on a condition that no more lawsuits would come about regarding asbestos.

After the initial asbestos lawsuits, employees underwent health screenings with their employers’ consent. It has been documented that many employers once again covered up the evidence by altering the health study results.

The issues didn’t go unnoticed by physicians, who then were discovering that not only did asbestos cause lung issues and difficulty with breathing, but also lung cancer.

When these companies became aware of the findings, more extensive plans of hiding evidence followed. For example, supervisors and managers were told never to talk about the hidden dangers of asbestos to employees.

Johns Mansville Hides Information

In 1943, after a six-year study and research on asbestos, Dr. LeRoy Gardner of the Saranac Laboratory in New York provided the Johns-Manville Corporation with the detailed results of his research.

Asbestos was found likely to be carcinogenic, meaning that the mineral is extremely dangerous.

At the Johns-Manville Corporation’s request, none of the findings were made public nor available to any of the workers employed at Johns-Manville.

In addition, the asbestos industry ensured that Dr. Gardner’s results were suppressed by altering and creating a false report.

More Warnings Issued

It wasn’t until 1964 that asbestos was pinned officially as one of the causes of lung cancer, asbestosis, and malignant mesothelioma.

Although the American Medical Association backed this information, companies still continued to alter and hide the information.

In other cases, company owners made blatant statements promoting asbestos.

Records show that in 1966, the director of purchasing at Bendix, an asbestos manufacturing company, stated, “If you have enjoyed a good life while working with asbestos, why not die from it?”

Regulating Asbestos

By 1971, it had already been over 40 years since the first asbestos-related lawsuits.

Because of covert actions, like companies persuading publications not to write about the dangers of asbestos, it took too long for asbestos to be recognized as a dangerous product.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finally took notice and regulated the use of asbestos.

At first, OSHA mandated an emergency temporary standard (ETS) for exposure to asbestos dust in December of 1974. Shortly after, the temporary standard became a permanent standard.

Ultimately, the details regarding the dangers of asbestos became widespread, and it became obvious that businesses had been suppressing this information for decades.

The dangers of asbestos became so prevalent that in 1979, the EPA announced it would regulate asbestos under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Yet, after a stampede of protests stating that too many people would be out of a job, the EPA decided not to pursue the regulations.

Nonetheless, after a 10-year study on the dangers of asbestos and how it affects humans, the EPA finally banned the use of all asbestos in 1989.

Members of the asbestos industry, however, appealed the ban, and unfortunately, they won. Asbestos is not completely banned in the U.S.

Reasons for Industry Cover-ups

Although it was established that asbestos was dangerous decades before the EPA’s regulation, companies continued to stifle any information regarding the hazards of the mineral.

Even after physicians, scientists, and even asbestos companies provided details of the dangers after conducting studies, companies still wouldn’t scale back on asbestos usage or inform workers of the dangers. The reason behind the great cover-ups comes down to money.

“We save a lot of money”

In another documented statement, when an executive of a corporation that used asbestos was asked if he would let his workers die if it meant continuing to use the mineral, he replied, “Yes; we save a lot of money that way.”

In other words, the profits of the businesses that used asbestos were more important than the lives of the people who helped these businesses survive.

Many of these companies have had to pay for the harm they caused workers. If you have an asbestos illness, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you take legal action and seek compensation.

Getting Legal Help for Asbestos Exposure

Keep in mind that you may be eligible for considerable compensation if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related cancer. Don’t forget to fill out our form to get our free Financial Compensation Packet, filled with information on the experienced asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys in your area.