Beware the Ides of March: The Hatch Bill Rears Its Ugly Head ... Again

photo-1About the Author

Trey Smith is an attorney with Roger G. Worthington, P.C., where he has represented plaintiffs with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers since 1999. Smith, who has been practicing law since 1987, is admitted in New York and Texas.

On July 10, 2003, the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 10 to 8 vote, sent SB 1125, the "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution (FAIR) Act", sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), to the full Senate for consideration.

The Hatch bill would halt all asbestos litigation for a 27-year period, and pay those with asbestos-related illnesses on …