Last week, Tennessee joined a growing number of states that have passed laws to combat asbestos fraud. Tennessee’s new law aimed at stopping plaintiffs’ lawyer ‘double dipping’ — seeking money from multiple asbestos trusts in addition to bringing a lawsuit, all on behalf of the same individual — is a significant step toward fighting asbestos lawsuit abuse.
This law will ensure that companies and bankruptcy trusts both pay their fair share of recoveries to claimants. It will also mean that Tennessee companies won’t be the targets of wrongful lawsuits.
Tennessee joins states like Arizona, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that have recently enacted such laws to bring transparency to the asbestos compensation system. More states ought to follow their lead.
Representative Jon Lundberg and Senator John Stevens deserve a lot of credit for their tireless work in the Tennessee legislature, as does Governor Bill Haslam for signing this bill into law.
