Pabst Brews a Legal Storm

On April 15, 2026, the Wisconsin Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling that will reverberate through asbestos litigation, workers’ compensation law, and premises liability for years to come. In Estate of Carol Lorbiecki v. Pabst Brewing Co., 2026 WI 12, the court held that a brewery owner could be found liable under Wisconsin’s Safe Place Statute for a steamfitter’s fatal mesothelioma, even though the worker was employed by an independent contractor, not by Pabst. The decision affirms a $6.9 million judgment, including punitive damages, and clarifies important principles governing the rights of workers exposed to occupational hazards on third-party premises.

EPA Sued Over Asbestos

On April 21, 2026, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Administrator Lee Zeldin in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaint, filed as Case No. 1:26-cv-01350, seeks to compel the EPA to fulfill a mandatory, non-discretionary duty under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a duty that has gone unfulfilled for over a year, leaving millions of workers and their families exposed to the continuing hazard of legacy asbestos.

Workplace Disease & Household Liability

A landmark California Supreme Court ruling in 2023 reversed earlier lower-court decisions and shielded employers from "take-home" COVID-19 liability — but the legal landscape for occupational disease exposure to household members remains complex and evolving. Here is what workers' compensation practitioners, employers, and injured workers need to know.

White House Asbestos Transparency

ADAO Fights for Transparency on East Wing Demolition Hazards

Asbestos Bankruptcy: Workers Pay Price

When The Stephan Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on November 26, 2025, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, it became the latest entry in a decades-long chronicle of American companies using the bankruptcy system to manage crushing asbestos liabilities. But beneath the legal maneuvering lies a more profound crisis: a workers’ compensation system that has consistently failed those it was designed to protect.

Canadian Asbestos Giant Forces Dying Americans Into Foreign Courts

Landmark Bankruptcy Decision Sends 6,000+ U.S. Asbestos Victims to Canada—Despite Congressional Protections.

Deadly Rollback: Asbestos Unprotected

FDA withdraws talc testing rule amid growing health concerns.

Bendix Asbestos: Legacy Lives On

For decades, the former Bendix plant in Teterboro, New Jersey, represented American industrial might—manufacturing brake systems and aerospace components that powered the nation's growth. But beneath that productive facade lurked a silent killer: asbestos. Today, Honeywell's recent divestiture of all legacy Bendix asbestos liabilities to Delticus for approximately $1.68 billion brings renewed attention to a public health crisis that continues to unfold, even as the factory floors have long gone quiet.

Asbestos Ban: A Win for Workers

In a significant development for public health and worker safety, the Trump administration has withdrawn its plan to reconsider the Biden-era ban on chrysotile asbestos, the last form of asbestos still imported and used in the United States. This reversal comes after a period of uncertainty and public outcry, marking a crucial step toward finally addressing the long-standing threat of asbestos exposure in the United States.

Asbestos: USA's Unfinished Ban Battle

For decades, the insidious threat of asbestos has loomed over public health, leaving a trail of devastating diseases. While many developed nations have long enacted comprehensive bans, the United States has lagged, allowing a dangerous legacy to persist. Recent actions by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mark a significant, albeit still incomplete, step towards finally addressing this critical issue. The issue is still pending before the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Great Falls: Asbestos Abatement Underway

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commenced a significant $4 million project in June 2025 to remove hazardous materials, including asbestos and lead, from the Allied Textile Printing (ATP) site in Paterson, New Jersey. This long-awaited cleanup is a critical step towards the full opening of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park's new $8 million riverwalk, which has been awaiting the completion of the remediation efforts. 

Unmasking Asbestos's Genetic Fingerprint

The recently published study, "From asbestos exposure to carcinogenesis: Transcriptomic signatures in malignant pleural mesothelioma", identifies specific gene expression patterns (differentially expressed genes, or DEGs) in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) who have a documented history of asbestos exposure. The research deepens our understanding of the molecular changes that occur due to asbestos-induced carcinogenesis.

ACL: Seeking Legal Shelter

Asbestos Corporation Limited (ACL), a Canadian mining company facing numerous lawsuits related to mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases in the United States, has taken steps regarding financial restructuring.

NJ Workers' Compensation: Broken Medical Promises

Like the broader US system, workers' compensation in New Jersey promises to protect employees injured on the job by ensuring timely and adequate medical care. However, this promise often feels broken when navigating the system's realities, particularly concerning medical benefits. Injured workers frequently encounter significant hurdles, especially when seeking medical treatment for both routine conditions and those requiring immediate attention.

Asbestos in Cosmetics: FDA Proposes New Testing Rules

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken a significant step toward enhancing consumer safety by proposing new regulations for detecting asbestos in talc-containing cosmetic products. This proposed rule, outlined in 21 CFR Part 730, aims to establish standardized testing methods for identifying the presence of this hazardous substance.

NJ Contractor Cuts Corners, Risks Worker Lives

In a stark reminder of workplace safety, New Jersey contractor Jose Correa has pleaded guilty to a serious environmental crime that endangered construction workers in East Harlem. During a supermarket renovation project in late 2022, Correa made a dangerous and illegal decision that could have had devastating consequences.

Paterson's Textile Past Unravels: EPA Tackles Asbestos Threat

A chapter of industrial history is about to be carefully closed in the heart of Paterson, New Jersey. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a significant asbestos cleanup operation at the former Allied Textile Printing (ATP) site, set to begin September 16, 2024.

Expert’s Published Study Protected Speech

A Federal Court held that the statements in a published academic article authored by a plaintiff’s expert were not actionable because they were either statements of opinion or because they were protected by the First Amendment.

US Bans Asbestos

Today, March 18, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to prohibit ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, the only known form of asbestos currently used in or imported to the United States. The ban on ongoing uses of asbestos is the first rule to be finalized under the 2016 amendments to the nation’s chemical safety law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which received near-unanimous support in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. The action marks a major milestone for chemical safety after more than three decades of inadequate protections and serious delays during the previous administration to implement the 2016 amendments.

Not A Violation of Public Policy

In rejecting an employee’s attempt to go forward with a lawsuit directly against an employer, the NJ Appellate Division ruled, in an unreported case*, that an employee, in a novel argument,  may assert the “violation of public policy” as an allegation.