In 2018, the Michigan House of Representatives held hearings on HB 5456. This bill if passed would have erected a series of roadblocks that would delay or deny compensation to Michigan asbestos victims and their families. The legislation that was presented would have:
- Forced attorneys and their asbestos victim clients to wait to file a lawsuit until they have worked up trust claims that promise little or no meaningful recovery for a victim.
- Radically modify procedural rules for asbestos cases to force courts to reduce judgments in favor of victims.
- Authorize defendant corporations to unilaterally delay or stall trial constantly, so that asbestos victims would die before their day in court. Mesothelioma victims could die within months after receiving their diagnosis.
Eric Abramson along with retired Oakland County Judge, William Bolle, and Tony Pascarella, President of the Retirees of the United Steelworkers Local 2659, all spoke up against HR 5456, and explained the importance of being able to litigate asbestos cases fairly.
Michael Serling sits down with Henry Gornbein the host of Practical Law. Michael talks about the first asbestos related case in Michigan, what asbestos company's knew and when, and the importance of knowing asbestos-containing products and the work place.
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