In nearly every mesothelioma lawsuit, the decades of research available regarding the link between asbestos and cancer, but unfortunately asbestos exposure is still a very real problem and one in which there is little regulatory impact.

In spite of $30 billion or more locked away in trust funds, companies can still manufacture products that contain the asbestos, most often used as an insulator and commonly found in roofing materials such as shingles. They have been able to do so for decades in spite of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warning.

Even with the use of protective equipment for remediation of older buildings and during natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) noted that there are still real asbestos risks. The WHO recommends that all usage and production should cease, while the IARC argues that there is no safe level of exposure. However, the EPA has done little to limit the impact of asbestos exposure.

It is unclear what can be done to limit the number of people who need mesothelioma treatment. Worse is the fact that due to the costs of the equipment needed for safe remediation, many contractors have been arrested for allowing their workers to remove the material without any protection at all.

What remains clear in all of this is that people who are put at risk for asbestos exposure may face the possibility of needing to file a mesothelioma lawsuit years down the line. While courts have seen enough asbestos lawsuits that they can identify whether or not the fibrous material played a role, the relative rarity of this type of asbestos lung cancer has led to issues in nailing down the rates that are most likely to cause cancer.

Until then, people need to take extra care to avoid the necessity for mesothelioma treatment, including using protective equipment during construction and particularly during natural disasters or accidents.