Idaho House panel rejects asbestos lawsuit bill

An Idaho House panel has spiked legislation to curb duplicate lawsuits over on-the-job asbestos exposure after opponents argued the proposal would limit victims’ ability to recover losses.

The House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee on Tuesday spiked a measure requiring people who file personal injury lawsuits for asbestos exposure to provide a sworn statement of every asbestos-related claim they’ve made or plan to make. The bill would have also allowed companies being sued to ask a judge to delay proceedings if they believed the injured person may be able to make a claim with one of dozens of asbestos trusts set up more than 20 years ago.

Asbestos inhalation can result in asbestosis and lung cancer such as mesothelioma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.