Asbestos cover up

Asbestos cover up: history, news and updates about the cancer risk

The asbestos cover up, perpetuated by many companies around the globe, has endured for decades. There were, however, people who spoke out about it, including one brave woman in England who refused to remain silent. Nancy Tait, a campaigner for victims of asbestos diseases died in 2009 at 89, though her legacy lives on as a fearless warrior against the asbestos deceit by giant corporations. Tait’s efforts were highly instrumental in revealing the cover up of asbestos cancer by the manufacturing company, Turner & Newall.

Tait's desire to shed light on the asbestos cover up was sparked by the death of her husband from mesothelioma cancer in 1968. Following that event, she visited Turner & Newall factory sites in many countries, tirelessly drawing attention to to the dangers of asbestos, raising awareness of the health risks from exposure, and helping an estimated 3,000 families through the legal system.

Companies involved in the asbestos cover up

Bendix, a Honeywell subsidiary, has been the target of asbestos lawsuits because it makes brake linings that once contained asbestos. Reportedly, a manager of Bendix wrote in a 1966 letter that his response to concerns about asbestos was: "If you have enjoyed a good life while working with asbestos products why not die from it." Once the public became aware of that document, it became more difficult for the company to sustain its asbestos cover up.

The deceit involving asbestos and the fact that its fibers can cause cancer when inhaled, began decades ago. In fact, as far back as 1924, the British Medical Journal began publishing medical papers on asbestosis, which reported indisputable links between asbestos exposure, cancer, and death. Medical papers citing such health risks surfaced in the 1930s in the United States, shaking up the big asbestos industry. Asbestos companies began a tireless and successful campaign to hide the truth about asbestos exposure. Using power plays, closed-door deals, false evidence, bribery and more, the asbestos industry created one of the biggest cover-ups in American history.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), during the 1950s and 60s, companies were fully aware of the potentially fatal consequences of working with asbestos, including its ability to cause cancer, yet millions of workers were exposed to asbestos on the job with virtually no health protections. By way of example, the EWG cites a 1949 document in which Exxon admitted that asbestos causes lung cancer, silicosis, fibrosis and erythema.

According to EWG, "This relatively early admission that asbestos causes lung cancer foretold literally hundreds of thousands of deaths from asbestos in subsequent decades, mortality that continues today in the United States at a rate of at least 5,000 deaths per year." Exxon, reportedly, kept its asbestos cover up going, in line with the policies of all asbestos users and manufacturers. The information about how dangerous asbestos could be to workers that inhaled it was under the banner: "COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL: Not For Publication In Present Form."

If you would like more information about the asbestos cover up, products that contained asbestos, and how asbestos may have contributed to your mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer or asbestosis, you may speak with a knowledgeable lawyer regarding a possible claim. Please complete the form on this page and we will be in touch shortly.