The Senate is discussing plans to create a trust fund would take the place of lawsuits in state and federal courts by people claiming to have asbestos-related diseases. Yesterday it was agreed that the amount of the fund would be increased to $153 billion. There are still concerns that the trust may not have adequate funds and critics claim that asbestos victims would receive more money if they took their cases to court.
See "Senate Panel Agrees to Increase Size of Asbestos Trust", Alex Berenson, The New York Times, June 26, 2003