Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered a possible link between asbestos and autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
It is well-documented that asbestos exposure leads to fatal diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, but this new information raises even more questions about health problems related to asbestos. There is currently an effort afoot in Congress to pass a bill that would bail out asbestos companies and their insurers by creating an inadequate trust fund for asbestos victims and take away their right to sue companies that knowingly exposed them to asbestos for decades.
The asbestos epidemic should be considered a health problem, not a financial one. Any solution to the asbestos epidemic, be it litigation, a trust fund, or a combination of the two, must help everyone hurt by asbestos.
