The RAND Institute for Civil Justice recently released a report on asbestos-related injuries. Although nearly 500,000 asbestos injury claims have already been filed, the organization feels the industry has not seen half of the potential claims. This is just the first component of RAND's three-part study of asbestos litigation. Researchers predict that the companies defending asbestos-related lawsuits will probably file for bankruptcy within the next two years.

RAND interviewed attorneys, asbestos litigation experts, and insurers during this phase of the study. The organization also examined research already published on the topic. By early next year, the remaining two phases of the study are scheduled to be released.