It was probably since the 1970s when the Congress of the United States debated over proposed asbestos legislation. Asbestos is a toxic material which is harmful and can be carcinogenic when inhaled or accidentally swallowed. Each year approximately 10,000 people die of mesothelioma, a cancer that has caused by exposure to asbestos. Other asbestos induced diseases are asbestosis which is non cancerous, yet, a serious health condition, or specific forms of lung cancer.

There are many interest groups such as the environmental protection agency, the health administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which have a strong influence of today's asbestos regulations and the way they are shaped. There is an ongoing fight between asbestos victims and businesses in the asbestos industry, and every year, asbestos legislation is dealt with by the U.S. Congress. Exposure to asbestos can cause severe health issues and fatal cancers, and it is therefore in the public's eye and off strong legal concern, too.

You might have heard of mesothelioma class action asbestos lawsuits. It was in 1999 when the Supreme Court ruled against such a lawsuit, which had billions of dollars at stake. The court pointed at the U.S. Congress and urged to pass asbestos legislation, with the goal to move lawsuits through the system with more efficiency and without compromising by any means the asbestos victim’s rights. In the same year, 1999, the fairness in asbestos compensation act was proposed with the intention to create a government body that was supposed to help resolving asbestos lawsuits before they even reached the court system.

In 2000, the so-called asbestos compensation act was supposed to create an office of asbestos compensation -- as a body with in the Department of Justice -- and to make the compensation fund available to compensate victims of asbestos health problems if they qualify and meet the respective criteria. In 2003 the asbestos claims and compensation act passed the US senate, but only received insufficient support and therefore failed to become an asbestos law.

The bottom line is, asbestos litigation is still yet to be decided. But that doesn't mean that a victim of an asbestos induced disease can't file a compensation claim. It is advisable to contact an expert lawyer to obtain legal advice. An asbestos lawyer will deal with the defendant’s insurance or represents in court issues on the behalf of his client. Therefore, it is of the outmost importance to find a good asbestos lawyer for your compensation claim.