Bankruptcy Judge: Bondex May Owe $1.17 Billion for Asbestos Claims
By Anne Bucher
On May 20, 2013, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Judith K. Fitzgerald of Wilmington, Delaware, estimated that Bondex International Inc. may owe current and future victims of asbestos-related diseases $1.17 billion. Bondex and Specialty Projects Holding Corp. filed for bankruptcy in 2010, arguing that they owed asbestos victims no more than $575 million. In the bankruptcy suit, Judge Fitzgerald rejected the method that Bondex and Specialty Products used to calculate the damages.
Companies Set Up Trusts to Compensate Victims of Asbestos Exposure
Many companies that produced materials that contained asbestos have become financially overwhelmed by asbestos exposure lawsuits filed by people who claim that they have been sickened after inhaling asbestos fibers. As a result of the growing number of asbestos lawsuits, more than 40 companies that manufactured asbestos products have filed for bankruptcy.
Companies that file for bankruptcy and their parent companies may win immunity from future asbestos lawsuits by setting up a trust that will cover medical expenses and other damages associated with asbestos exposure. To date, these trusts have paid out billions of dollars to people with asbestos-related injuries. When determining the appropriate amount to put into the trust, the companies and creditors must submit detailed estimates about the size of current and future asbestos exposure claims.
Asbestos Exposure Linked to Life-Threatening Health Risks
For many years, Bondex was a popular company that produced household repair products in the U.S. The company offered products for surface preparation, wallpapering, texturing and concrete repair. Until 1981, many of the products were made with asbestos.
Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fiber that was popular in the manufacturing industry because of its resistance to heat. When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed, asbestos fibers are released into the air. People who inhale the fibers, especially for an extended period of time, are at an increased risk of developing a severe asbestos-related illness.
Asbestos exposure has been linked to serious and life-threatening conditions, including:
- Asbestos mesothelioma
- Asbestosis
- Asbestos warts
- Diffuse pleural thickening
- Lung cancer
- Pleural plaques
- Pneumothorax
If you have developed one of these illnesses due to asbestos exposure, you may be able to file an asbestos lawsuit and receive compensation for your medical expenses and other losses. Thousands of people from all over the U.S. have been afflicted with an asbestos-related illness. Many of these victims have filed asbestos lawsuits to seek compensation for their injuries. Victims of asbestos exposure have received compensation to cover their medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other expenses.
You Could Be Entitled to Compensation for Your Asbestos-Related Illness
If you or someone you love has suffered injuries related to asbestos exposure, you may be able to file an asbestos lawsuit. If the suit is successful, you could be entitled to compensation for your asbestos exposure injuries. For more information about your legal rights, visit the Mesothelioma Asbestos Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. When you submit information about your asbestos injury, a lawyer will review your claim to determine whether you qualify to join an asbestos lawsuit.
Updated May 21st, 2013
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