Industry backs, labor opposes asbestos liability reform bill

WASHINGTON (March 10)—A new bill sponsored by Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) would establish medical criteria for would-be plaintiffs in asbestos-related product liability suits, as well as limit the ability of plaintiffs' attorneys to "shop" for the court most favorable to asbestos plaintiffs. The legislation has the broad backing of industry, including the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the Tire Industry Association through various industry coalitions. However, the AFL-CIO—of which the United Steelworkers of America is a member—called the Nickles bill "profoundly unfair to the majority of asbestos victims, whom it will bar from ever recovering any compensation for their injuries."