Some of the major, unique characteristics of asbestos litigation were identified in the previous chapter. This chapter presents a portrayal of asbestos litigation during 1986, addressing questions such as the following:
- How complex are asbestos cases in comparison with other
products liability, toxic tort, and personal injury cases in the
federal courts? - If these cases are complex, what are the complicating factors?
- If these cases are not complex, were they once complex? How
were they simplified?
- If these cases are not complex, were they once complex? How
In many ways, this entire report is about the complexity and simplification of asbestos litigation. In this chapter, the main elements of the simplification process will be highlighted.