Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous mineral that was widely used in the manufacture of a variety of products beginning in the late nineteenth century. The majority of exposure to asbestos occurred between 1940 and 1980 in occupations such as construction, shipyards, railroads, insulation, sheet metal, plasterers, drywallers, pipefitters, floor-covering installers, cement installers and finishers, automobile repair, and related fields.

When asbestos fibers are released into the air, they are inhaled by workers. The asbestos fibers remain in the lungs where they can cause disease. We believe the evidence shows that companies which manufactured these asbestos-containing products knew their products would injure people and that these companies actively conspired to hide this information in order to keep selling their products. As a result, these companies are now being held liable for the resulting injuries.

The lawyers at Trine & Metcalf filed the first asbestos personal injury lawsuit in 1974. They have represented hundreds of asbestos-disease victims and their families since then. As more and more individuals fell victim to asbestos-inflicted injury, the number of personal injury and death actions being filed across the nation grew to unprecedented levels.

For years, many defendants fiercely contested each and every issue, and trials could be long and repetitive. Several asbestos product manufacturers filed bankruptcy in the 1980s and 1990s to avoid having to give justice to victims of asbestos disease. In our view, these companies conspired to hide information concerning the harmfulness of asbestos and conspired to keep the amount of asbestos to which people were exposed at dangerously high levels. Therefore, we believe that all asbestos-product manufacturers are equally responsible for asbestos-caused injuries and death.

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