Asbestos is a carcinogenic substance that causes Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Before the mid 1970's there were no laws that regulated the use of Asbestos in the workplace and as a result there were seen to be a rising number of cases of the various forms of mesothelioma cancer in the US. That is why in the 1980's a law was passed that imposed limits on the use of Asbestos in the industries and created a workers fair compensation law that allowed workers having been exposed to Asbestos to demand compensation through law if they fell ill.
