Asbestos Attorneys: Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos illness like mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis, complete the form on this page to get a FREE and prompt review of your case by a leading asbestos attorney. Weitz & Luxenberg is a leading mesothelioma law firm with a substantial history of success in asbestos exposure cases.

The asbestos attorneys of Weitz & Luxenberg provide you with House Resolution 1360: Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005. If you have been injured by Asbestos, this document may help you understand your Asbestos lawsuit. To find out if you have a claim, use our FREE Asbestos Case Evaluator.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) ADMINISTRATOR- The term `Administrator' means the Administrator of the Office of Asbestos Disease Compensation appointed under section 101(b).

(2) ASBESTOS- The term `asbestos' includes--

(A) chrysotile;

(B) amosite;

(D) tremolite asbestos;

(E) winchite asbestos;

(F) richterite asbestos;

(G) anthophyllite asbestos;

(H) actinolite asbestos;

(I) any of the minerals listed under subparagraphs (A) through (H) that has been chemically treated or altered, and any asbestiform variety, type, or component thereof; and

(J) asbestos-containing material, such as asbestos-containing products, automotive or industrial parts or components, equipment, improvements to real property, and any other material that contains asbestos in any physical or chemical form.

(3) ASBESTOS CLAIM-

(A) IN GENERAL- The term `asbestos claim' means any claim, premised on any theory, allegation, or cause of action for damages or other relief presented in a civil action or bankruptcy proceeding, directly, indirectly, or derivatively arising out of, based on, or related to, in whole or part, the health effects of exposure to asbestos, including loss of consortium, wrongful death, and any derivative claim made by, or on behalf of, any exposed person or any representative, spouse, parent, child or other relative of any exposed person.

(B) EXCLUSION- The term does not include claims alleging damage or injury to tangible property, or claims for benefits under a workers' compensation law or veterans' benefits program.

(4) ASBESTOS CLAIMANT- The term `asbestos claimant' means an individual who files a claim under section 113.

(5) CIVIL ACTION- The term `civil action' means all suits of a civil nature in State or Federal court, whether cognizable as cases at law or in equity or in admiralty, but does not include an action relating to any workers' compensation law, or a proceeding for benefits under any veterans' benefits program.

(6) COLLATERAL SOURCE COMPENSATION- The term `collateral source compensation' means the compensation that the claimant received, or is entitled to receive, from a defendant or an insurer of that defendant, or compensation trust as a result of a judgment or settlement for an asbestos-related injury that is the subject of a claim filed under section 113.

(7) ELIGIBLE DISEASE OR CONDITION- The term `eligible disease or condition' means, to the extent that the illness meets the medical criteria requirements established under subtitle C of title I, asbestosis/pleural disease, severe asbestosis disease, disabling asbestosis disease, mesothelioma, lung cancer I, lung cancer II, lung cancer III, and other cancers.

(8) FUND- The term `Fund' means the Asbestos Injury Claims Resolution Fund established under section 221.

(9) INSURANCE RECEIVERSHIP PROCEEDING- The term `insurance receivership proceeding' means any State proceeding with respect to a financially impaired or insolvent insurer or reinsurer including the liquidation, rehabilitation, conservation, supervision or ancillary receivership of an insurer under State law.

(10) LAW- The term `law' includes all law, judicial or administrative decisions, rules, regulations, or any other principle or action having the effect of law.

(11) PARTICIPANT-

(A) IN GENERAL- The term `participant' means any person subject to the funding requirements of title II, including--

(i) any defendant participant subject to liability for payments under subtitle A of that title;

(ii) any insurer participant subject to a payment under subtitle B of that title; and

(iii) any successor in interest of a participant.

(B) EXCEPTION-

(i) IN GENERAL- A defendant participant shall not include any person protected from any asbestos claim by reason of an injunction entered in connection with a plan of reorganization under chapter 11 of title 11, United States Code, that has been confirmed by a duly entered order or judgment of a court that is no longer subject to any appeal or judicial review, and the substantial consummation, as such term is defined in section 1101(2) of title 11, United States Code, of such plan of reorganization has occurred.

(ii) APPLICABILITY- Clause (i) shall not apply to a person who may be liable under subtitle A of title II based on prior asbestos expenditures related to asbestos claims that are not covered by an injunction described under clause (i).

(12) PERSON- The term `person'--

(A) means an individual, trust, firm, joint stock company, partnership, association, insurance company, reinsurance company, or corporation; and

(B) does not include the United States, any State or local government, or subdivision thereof, including school districts and any general or special function governmental unit established under State law.

(13) STATE- The term `State' means any State of the United States and also includes the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any other territory or possession of the United States or any political subdivision of any of the entities under this paragraph.

(14) SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUES- The term `substantially continues' means that the business operations have not been significantly modified by the change in ownership.

(15) SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST- The term `successor in interest' means any person that acquires assets, and substantially continues the business operations, of a participant. The factors to be considered in determining whether a person is a successor in interest include--

(A) retention of the same facilities or location;

(B) retention of the same employees;

(D) retention of the same supervisory personnel;

(E) continuity of assets;

(F) production of the same product or offer of the same service;

(G) retention of the same name;

(H) maintenance of the same customer base;

(I) identity of stocks, stockholders, and directors between the asset seller and the purchaser; or

(J) whether the successor holds itself out as continuation of previous enterprise, but expressly does not include whether the person actually knew of the liability of the participant under this Act.

(16) VETERANS' BENEFITS PROGRAM- The term `veterans' benefits program' means any program for benefits in connection with military service administered by the Veterans' Administration under title 38, United States Code.

(17) WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW- The term `workers' compensation law'--

(A) means a law respecting a program administered by a State or the United States to provide benefits, funded by a responsible employer or its insurance carrier, for occupational diseases or injuries or for disability or death caused by occupational diseases or injuries;

(B) includes the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (33 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) and chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code; and

(C) does not include the Act of April 22, 1908 (45 U.S.C. 51 et seq.), commonly known as the Federal Employers' Liability Act, or damages recovered by any employee in a liability action against an employer.