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Change of Law Sought in Indiana to Aid Victims of Asbestos-related Diseases

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

A group of mesothelioma victims and their families are asking Indiana lawmakers to rewrite state law to allow people who get diseases that appear decades after exposure more time to sue for compensation.

Under current Indiana law, victims have 10 years to file a lawsuit after being exposed to a hazardous substance. But mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs associated with asbestos exposure, typically doesn’t appear until 20 to 40 years after exposure. It claims 2,000 too 3,000 people a year in the United States.

Loved ones of those who died of mesothelioma told an Indiana legislative panel that the current state law placed no value on the lives of those who died of mesothelioma or the economic hardships their families suffered as a result of their loss. They want the law changed to allow victims two years after diagnosis of the disease to file legal action.

The Indiana Legislature is likely to consider the issue in the session that convenes in January.

Labels: National News

posted by Wade Rawlins at 10:46 AM
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