Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material found in many parts of the country. It was used for centuries as an insulation and building material because it is durable and it has unique natural flame resistant properties. Unfortunately, many workers did not understand the risks of contracting debilitating lung conditions from mining, and many of them suffered from terrible asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.

In response to the rising number of cases of serious health problems of people who work with asbestos, the federal government enacted several statutes aimed at reducing the likelihood of diseases. One of these was to mandate the use of air respirators to filter out the delicate asbestos particles out of the air. These particles are so small that many respirators do not filter them all out. Unfortunately this means many people who use faulty respirators will eventually develop serious health problems like mesothelioma and asbestos many years after the fact. Over 84,000 lawsuits have been filed against manufacturer 3M Co. due to respirators that failed to filter out asbestos particles.