What Did the Asbestos Companies Know And When Did They Know It?

The companies that manufactured, sold and installed asbestos products had extensive knowledge of the deadly hazards of asbestos as early as 1920. Yet, these corporations waited decades to provide warnings to workers and to the general public. In some cases, warnings were never provided.

In addition to this actual knowledge on the part of asbestos corporations, the evidence available in medical books and journals revealed the dangers of asbestos exposure long before millions of American workers were exposed.

Here's a brief timeline of the known dangers:

Late 1800's: The first reports of lung disease in people working in asbestos factories.

1918: US government report stating that it was the practice of American and Canadian life insurance companies not to sell coverage to asbestos workers due to the assumed injurious health consequences. A reference reports that the Chief Inspector in England is aware of deaths and lung disease in workers at asbestos plants.

1924: British medical journal publishes first widely available article describing death of a 33-year old woman who worked in an asbestos textile plant.

1927: A pathologist issues a report describing asbestosis as a disease that involves the scarring of the lungs and shortness of breath. The report indicates that asbestosis could be fatal.

1928: Journal of the American Medical Association publishes editorial called "Pulmonary Asbestosis." Articles and case reports describing incidence of asbestosis are published in the United States and worldwide.

1930: Dr. Merewether, a famous researcher, publishes first clinical examination of hundreds of workers in the asbestos industry. He found that one out of four workers was suffering from asbestosis. Dr. Merewether further concluded:

• That asbestosis was a disease of latency, i.e. that workers exposed to asbestos wouldn't show signs of injury for many years;
   
• That asbestos dust had to be controlled through ventilation and the use of respirators.
   
• That workers exposed to asbestos should be informed and warned in order to assure a "sane appreciation of the risk."
   
• That the finished products created dust that should be controlled and minimized.

Dr. Merewether's medical description of asbestos disease mirrors exactly the description of the disease today. His recommendations, if implemented by the asbestos industry, would have saved tens of thousands of lives and injuries to American workers.

1930s: Reports demonstrated that asbestosis was occurring in workers with as little as nine months of exposure.

1933: First American case report of asbestosis in an insulation worker.

1934: Researchers report cases of asbestosis and lung cancer in an asbestos factory. Many of the workers had less than six months of exposure to asbestos. Reports were also published of asbestosis from workplace exposure to products, including boiler workers, custodians and insulators.

1942: Researchers report that lung cancer in building trades workers is likely caused by asbestos. Dr. Heuper, a noted occupational physician and the first chief of the environmental cancer section of the National Cancer Institute, suggests that asbestos causes Asbestosis as well as cancer in the manufacturing process as well as through finished building products such as insulation and packing materials. In 1949, Dr. Heuper warns that asbestos was a cancer risk to the general population. By this time there were over 200 references in the widely available literature regarding asbestos and disease.

1943: First case of a mesothelioma-like tumor reported.

1947: Dr. Merewether finds that 13% of asbestosis cases also had cancer of the lungs or pleura.

1949: Encyclopedia Brittanica lists asbestos as a recognized cause of occupational and environmental cancer. The Journal of the American Medical Association concludes that asbestos is probably linked to occupational cancer.

1953: Mesothelioma is reported in an asbestos insulator.

1955: A major epidemiological study demonstrates that asbestos workers have a tenfold risk above the general population of contracting lung cancer.

1960: Another epidemiological study confirms reports that exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma. This study also included the children and wives of asbestos workers who contracted mesothelioma.

1964: Dr. Selikoff, a major researcher at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, confirms widespread disease among asbestos workers and from family members living with asbestos workers. A large number of job titles were implicated in the report, including construction workers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc. Selikoff pointed out that asbestos did not "respect" job titles and could harm any person who breathed in asbestos.

After 1964, the medical literature continued to identify asbestos as a major carcinogen and environmental hazard. Over 200 publications described the hazards of asbestos by the end of the 1960's.

Notwithstanding this knowledge, and the death that resulted from breathing in the dust from these products, the manufacturers and installers of these materials continued to sell and install asbestos products without warning workers, reducing the dust or substituting equally effective materials in place of the asbestos. Tragically, many companies had secured additional knowledge regarding the connection between asbestos and cancer as early as the 1930's. However, these companies altered research reports to hide these findings from the public.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you have a legal right to seek compensation from the companies that placed you and your family at risk. Medical treatment is your primary concern, however, knowing your legal rights can help protect you and your family. Click here to learn more about your legal options.

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What is asbestos?

What types of injuries are caused by asbestos?

What trades and occupations work with asbestos?

What types of products contain asbestos?

Could I have been exposed to asbestos in my home?

Why was asbestos used in building and insulation products?

What did companies know and when did they know it?

What is Mesothelioma? How do you get Mesothelioma?

What are the symptoms of Mesothelioma?

How is Mesothelioma diagnosed?

What is the medical staging of Mesothelioma?

What are the treatment options for those diagnosed with Mesothelioma?

How do I locate and participate in clinical trials?

What Legal Options Are Available To Individuals Injured By Asbestos?

If I Don't Remember How I was Exposed To Asbestos, What Can I Do?

What Are The Stages Of The Lawsuit And What Is My Involvement?

How Do You Prove Which Asbestos Companies Are Responsible For My Injury?

Will You File My Case As A Class Action Or As An Individual Lawsuit?

What If My Loved One Had Died Or Is Too Sick To Speak To An Attorney?

Do I Have To Pay For The Costs Of My Lawsuit?

Are There Time Limits For Filing A Legal Claim?

If I Smoked Cigarettes, Can I Still File A Claim Against The Asbestos Companies?

Which Companies Are Sued In Asbestos Cases?

I Have Read About Many Asbestos Companies Filing For Bankruptcy, How Do These Bankruptcies Affect My Case?

Which Asbestos Companies Are Bankrupt Or Out Of Business?

How Can I Find Out If I Should File An Asbestos Lawsuit?

Is There Going To Be A Trial In My Lawsuit?

How Long Will It Take For My Lawsuit To Be Completed?

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