PETITION TO U.S. SENATE BY MESOTHELIOMA VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS PETITION TO U.S. SENATEIN OPPOSITION TO S. 852

We, the undersigned, hereby petition the United States Senate on behalf of half of half of half of half of mesothelioma victims.

We are mesothelioma victims and families of mesothelioma victims who are opposed to Senate bill 852, the "FAIR ACT."IR ACT."IR ACT."

Mesothelioma is an always fatal cancer caused by asbestos exposure. In many instances, we are not only suffering from a painful and terminal asbestos caused cancer but our families face many hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more, in extraordinary medical bills and wage loss.

Although the Bill's Senate sponsors intend to help victims, this Bill only helps a few large companies at the expense of mesothelioma victims and most businesses.

In addition to our opposition, we observe that the bill is also opposed by most insurance companies, numerous businesses, and most labor unions. unions.

The reasons we oppose S. 852 are as follows:

(1) The bill does not provide a reliable mechanism for providing compensation quickly to dying mesothelioma victims. If anything, the Bill backtracks on protections already promised by the Senate in an earlier version which passed in the Judiciary Committee with substantial bipartisan support.

(2) If the Trust Fund runs out of money, as predicted by some experts, the Bill does not contain reliable sunset provisions. Mesothelioma victims will be left in limbo.n limbo.

(3) In many instances, the compensation for mesothelioma victims is far less than victims' actual damages and far less than victims currently receive in the judicial system.

(4) The Bill allows companies to renege on settlement commitments and settlement trust amounts already promised and set aside for mesothelioma victims and their families.

(5) Although it is universally agreed that mesothelioma victims are by far the most seriously injured victims of asbestos exposure, most of the S. 852 compensation will go to people who have much less serious conditions.

(6) The Bill does not have reliable, transparent funding mechanisms. Instead, it sets up a complex system of administrative challenges and court challenges that will allow companies to contest their funding obligations.gations.

(7) Contrary to prior Senate commitments contained in earlier versions of the Bill, this Bill will stop the current system of compensation before an up and running reliable system is established to take its place.

(8) This Bill was written to benefit a group of companies who have spent a fortune lobbying for its passage to the detriment of other companies and insurers who have promised to fight the Bill in the courts. This will result in further delays all to the further detriment of mesothelioma victims.