Having mesothelioma cancer can be a death sentence.  You may have it developing in your body right now.  It can take decades after working with asbestos (or being exposed to it) before symptoms show. Starting August 1st, 2021, North Dakota will join 10 other states currently restricting legal options for victims.  So it is important for North Dakotans to get screened before that time to better your chances at legal relief.

Today leaders of the North Dakota AFL-CIO along with veterans, workers, and legal professions held two press conferences in Fargo and Bismarck to bring awareness of the deadline.  I'm simply trying to help spread that word farther- you can too.

The Associated Press goes into greater detail of how North Dakotans have found themselves in this precarious position...

Backers of the law, which will bar people from suing over asbestos exposure unless they’ve already been sickened by it, say its intent is largely to guard against fraudulent claims.

Gov. Doug Burgum signed the Republican-sponsored bill into last last month after it sailed through the Legislature along mostly partly-line votes in the House and Senate. It takes effect Aug. 1.

We're all aware of the barrage of the just "get the book" advertisements that are have been playing ad nauseam on all media for years.  Frankly, I always thought it was just class action lawsuit ambulance chasing by major law firms just looking for their cut of massive settlements.  No doubt there is much truth to that, and most likely the root reason for North Dakota's new legislation.  But to make relief more difficult for those that have yet to be diagnosed with health problems related to asbestos...well that's just wrong.

So if you, or someone close to you, has any reason to believe you've had prolonged exposure to asbestos, it is urgent to get a screening so you can be grandfathered under the old law.

Of course, since I googled "Mesothelioma" all my other browser articles and my Facebook feed are inundated with solicitations to just "get the book".  So, the ambulance chasing is a real thing.  But, with 740 North Dakotans passing away from asbestos exposure in just over the last 20 years- dying is also a very real thing.


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