Mesothelioma is, in simple terms, is cancer of the mesothelium caused by exposure to asbestos during the making of products that contain asbestos or working in an area that is made of asbestos for prolonged periods of time. Companies have known for over 60 years that exposure to asbestos is dangerous and can cause diseases such as mesothelioma; however, because they didn't want to stop production of their products or lose workers, they didn't tell employees of the dangers. This led to the mesothelioma claims being started to compensate victims of this disease. The companies that are the defendants are charged with endangering their employee's lives. There are now laws in place to protect workers who were exposed to asbestos and have been harmed; these companies were ordered to set aside monies for future victims. Because mesothelioma lies dormant for many years, it is possible that there are hundreds of thousands of potential victims to this disease who do not yet know they have the disease. Mesothelioma claims will continue to grow in number as more people discover they have the disease and seek to have their medical bills and loss of wages compensated.