Legislation limiting asbestos and silica lawsuits has passed the Ohio legislature and has been sent to Gov. Bob Taft for his signature.

House Bills 292 and 342 would make Ohio the first state to adopt medical criteria for filing asbestos and silica lawsuits, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. "Both bills aim to help the most severely sick workers by removing barriers that could potentially prohibit them from receiving fair legal and financial remedies," said Greg LaCost, senior counsel and regional manager of PCI. "It allows ill people who are genuinely injured by asbestos and silica exposures to get fair and timely compensation."

Silicosis is the oldest known occupational disease, PCI noted. The respiratory disorder is caused by inhaling silica particles from quartz found in rocks and sand. Silica is a component used in the glass-making and sand-blasting industries.