WASHINGTON - "Grossly unjust" is how Dirk Van Dongen described S. 2290, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act. Van Dongen, president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), voiced his opposition in a letter to U.S. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The legislation is designed to resolve the growing asbestos litigation problem by creating a trust fund - paid into by manufacturers, distributors, and others involved in asbestos lawsuits - which would then pay the claims of injured parties.