Paper and packaging corporation MeadWestvaco announced last week that hundreds of asbestos-related personal injury lawsuits have been filed against the company. More than 500 suits, filed by 6,000 plaintiffs, allege that an asbestos-containing friction paper--made by Mead Corp. decades before its January merger with Westvaco Corp.--has contributed to health problems for thousands of people.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos "presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health," as inhaling the fibers greatly increases the odds of contracting asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and other cancers. Analysts suspect the number of cases against MeadWestvaco will grow considerably in the following months.