Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease where malignant cells develop in the lining of the chest or the abdomen. It has been proven beyond any doubt that exposure to asbestos - even small dosages - can significantly increase a person's chance of developing mesothelioma later in life. In fact, most cases of the disease are only reported decades after the person was exposed to asbestos.

When the facts regarding the link between asbestos and mesothelioma were first made public, many people started filing mesothelioma lawsuits against companies and organizations after they developed asbestos-related illnesses. These companies, in turn, filed claims with their own insurance companies. A huge number of mesothelioma lawsuits were filed in the 1990s, but by the end of that decade it was thought that the number of legal claims had stabilized.

Recently, however, it has been reported that more and more people are looking for good mesothelioma lawyers as the number of lawsuits are surging once again. It has been predicted that insurance companies can lose up to $65-billion in the next few years due to the huge increase in mesothelioma lawsuits brought against companies. 90,000 asbestos-related lawsuits alone were filed in 2002 and, in theory, up to 2.5-million people can file lawsuits by 2030.

So why the upsurge, and why are more and more seeking the services of mesothelioma lawyers? The answer, it seems, lies in the fact that many - if not most - asbestos manufacturers have already claimed for bankruptcy and their resources have dried up as a result. Between the years 2000 and 2002, 18 large American companies - employing over 100,000 people - claimed bankruptcy protection. Claimants thus feel that if this is the future trend, they should file their mesothelioma lawsuits now while they still can. Most of the current claimants are relatively healthy or they have no signs of the disease. Statistics say up to 90% of today's claimants who consult with a mesothelioma lawyer haven't developed the disease - yet.

In addition, claimants are currently suing companies that did not have direct contact with asbestos, including new owners of firms that might have produced products that contained asbestos in the past. Present day claimants - even healthy ones - feel that they have nothing to lose, especially since some types of asbestos-related illnesses only surface after 40 years. This explains the huge surge in mesothelioma lawsuits in the United States today.