After a recent victory in an asbestos cancer lawsuit, the presiding Northeastern Ohio court is trying to find the heirs to the numerous rubber workers who died or became very ill due to asbestos exposure.

According to the asbestos cancer lawsuit, hundreds of rubber workers were required to work in the hazardous conditions on a daily basis. The Ohio court ruled in favor of the plaintiff side, with the companies required to pay approximately $2 million in legal damages.

While a number of heirs of the deceased rubber workers have been found, the Summit County Probate Court stated that heirs for 850 late rubber workers have not been located according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

In 2004, an $80 million fund was created for this purpose after insurance company Travelers Cos. had settled with asbestos cancer lawyers representing thousands of workers who suffered from asbestos exposure injuries.

However, a series of appeals by the companies had delayed the timing of the payouts until 2014 when the U.S. Circuit Court ordered Travelers to pay the settlement.

One of the law firms involved in the litigation had filed approximately 1,700 asbestos cancer claims in probate court involving rubber workers who had died from the asbestos exposure and had made the legal victory possible.

This law firm is also assisting helping find surviving heirs of these late rubber workers. Efforts to find these members include: letters sent to possible family members, phone calls, and online searches.

Each claim for the settlement can range from $2,100 to $23,000, based on the medical diagnosis of the asbestos cancer cases.  At this time, approximately 19,000 asbestos cancer lawsuits are being paid from the settlement throughout the country.

At 6,000 asbestos cancer lawsuits, Summit County has paid the most. In addition, heirs have been located in approximately half of the country’s pending probate asbestos cancer lawsuits.

Overview of Asbestos Cancer Diseases

As mentioned in the lawsuit, each of the claims involve individuals who were diagnosed with cancer alleged in direct result of asbestos exposure.

The two primary asbestos cancers typically discussed in these claims are mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer, both of which are devastating diseases brought on by the deadly fibrous material.

Even though both diseases are rare and have the same cause, the prognosis stages are very different. Mesothelioma attacks the mucus lining of the lungs, while asbestos lung cancer attacks the actual organs.

Both of these diseases are caused by first hand or second hand asbestos exposure, in which the fibers are inhaled or swallowed.

Between 35 to 50 years later, the fibers lodged in the lungs fester into cancer cells and quickly overtake the body. Due to the amount of time that passes before the disease shows any symptoms, patients are often diagnosed at a latent stage.

This is why people who take legal action against the manufacturers using asbestos are often heirs or other relatives to the victims, as they often succumb to their disease before the litigation is complete.

Individuals who were diagnosed with asbestos lung cancer, mesothelioma, or other asbestos exposure diseases should contact a specialized attorney as soon as possible.