Supreme Court Sympathizes With Insurer in Bankruptcy Proceeding

The Supreme Court seemed receptive to an insurer’s claim that it was entitled to be heard in a bankruptcy reorganization plan that the company argues fails to protect it from fraudulent claims related to asbestos exposure cases. Asbestos is a fire-resistant mineral whose fibers used to be commonly employed in construction and other industries. Although it had been used for thousands of years and was once called a “miracle mineral,” it was later discovered that it can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Over time, regulators cracked down on asbestos, and its use is now banned in many industries in much of the world. The last asbestos mine in the United States closed in 2002, though Russia continues to mine the fibrous mineral....