Recent Surge in Asbestos Claims Could Mean More Suits in 2002.

Although calculating future filing rates for asbestos litigation is difficult, the recent increase in lawsuits could mean that the trend could continue, and attorneys, asbestos companies and business analysts are preparing for such an eventuality, according to those who have followed the tort suits.

When the RAND Institute for Civil Justice began tracking the litigation, in the early 1980s, it found about 300 defendants named on asbestos claims. That list today includes about 1,000 corporations. Interviews with ...