What the Asbestos Companies Knew About Mesothelioma
The asbestos industry caused a great amount of pain to many
families by ignoring the startling evidence that asbestos
exposure is harmful and often deadly. All of the suffering could
have been avoided because the asbestos companies knew a lot more
than they informed the public about. The companies considered
the protection of the industry more important than the lives of
their workers.
Back in the 1920s, a large variety of medical articles showed
that there was scarring on the lungs of asbestos factory
workers. This evidence was revealed during autopsies of those
workers. Asbestos companies had full knowledge of these
articles, but chose to ignore the facts presented because the
public reaction to such information would kill the asbestos
industry. Further studies in the 1930s revealed that asbestos
miners and factory workers were indeed dying of lung disease and
cancer. There was enough evidence to support an undeniable
correlation between asbestos exposure and the development of
mesothelioma. Sadly, the companies decided to suppress this
overwhelming evidence and in a series of letters between
asbestos companies. In these same letters, executives revealed
how far the companies were willing to go in order to protect
their own interests. These letters that were circulated in the
1930s are called the "Sumner Simpson Papers." In these letters,
certain asbestos company executives made statements such as "the
less said about asbestos, the better off we are." Owens Illinois
and Owens Corning Fiberglas conducted studies in the 1940s,
attempting to prove that asbestos exposure was harmless, and
save the asbestos industry. The studies revealed the exact
opposite. They showed that exposure to asbestos was indeed quite
harmful and even deadly. In light of the studies, the companies
attempted to force scientists to change their conclusions.
Asbestos companies had full knowledge of the potential harm that
could be caused by exposure to asbestos. Scientists and studies
confirmed that there was a direct relationship between asbestos
exposure and early death. Asbestos companies first tried to
cover up the knowledge and silence scientists who conducted
studies showing the harmful effects of asbestos exposure. Once
the information about asbestos came to the public, these same
companies attempted to deny having knowledge that people simply
working around asbestos-containing products would suffer. The
companies denied knowledge in order to avoid lawsuits. The
simple fact is that asbestos-containing products cause serious
injury and often lead to premature death. For this reason,
mesothelioma lawsuits are quite valid and are in no way
frivolous. Lung disease, lung cancer, and mesothelioma all stem
from asbestos exposure. Many lives could have been saved if the
asbestos companies were willing to release the information that
they had access to.