Congress is considering two bills that threaten the rights and privacy of asbestos victims and their family members. These bills were written under the ruse of protecting business owners, but the truth is that they only protect companies – like the asbestos companies that caused an epidemic of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma all over the United States.
We are asking you to send a STRONG message to Congress. Tell your representatives to vote “NO” on H.R. 906, the Further Asbestos Claim Transparency Act and H.R. 985, the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act.
Contact Congress and urge them to reject these bills!
Click this link to contact your local Members of Congress: http://www.takejusticeback.com/node/580
If These Bills Pass:
H.R. 906, Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act (FACT Act):
- It would require private asbestos bankruptcy trusts to disclose asbestos cancer patients’ personal information on a publicly searchable database which can be accessed by anyone, including insurers, employers, and even financial scammers trolling for victims. Exposed information would include the victims’ name, work and exposure history, and medical diagnoses.
- It will delay compensation for asbestos victims who often only have months to live by granting asbestos corporations the right to demand any information from any trust at any time. This will force trusts to focus on meeting unnecessary demands of asbestos corporations instead of providing for victims and their families.
H.R. 985, the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act:
- If companies successfully eliminate class actions, where consumers injured in the same way join together, consumers will not have a remedy because on individual cannot go after a company that makes hundreds of millions of dollars. Consumers need to be able to work together in a class action to hold companies accountable.
- It would require all plaintiffs to have the same injury level in order to proceed with a lawsuit. We know that this is not a realistic requirement. When asked about H.R. 985 by the LA Times, a Chicago lawyer stated, “If your injury is different by just $1, it would preclude joining a class action.”
Brayton Purcell LLP seeks justice for all, and this would greatly prevent us from doing just that. The FACT Act has been strongly opposed by asbestos victims, their families, and organizations like the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). But to this date, Congress has refused to allow asbestos victims to testify about their concerns with the bill.
Individuals involved in class action lawsuits have also openly opposed the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act. Class actions are necessary to protect people who have been wronged due to negligence, defective products, unsafe working environments, and more. But if H.R. 985 becomes law, most of these cases will likely be eliminated.
With your help, we can send a message to lawmakers that voters are watching, and together, we can ensure the court system will remain working for everyone.
Please, take just a moment to contact your representatives today.
