A good indicator of the future of asbestos lawsuits is what have seen so far in the past few years. According to one report, “Mesothelioma Trends in the United States: An Update Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program Data for 1973 through 2003.” by Bertram Price and Adam Ware, (Am. J. of Epidemiol 2004; 159:107-112), mesothelioma diagnoses are reaching new highs. According to NERA Economic Consulting, there was a 75% increase in the average dollar amount for resolved claims in 2010. That number was more than double than then in 2009 and 2010. A large factor is that there were more malignancies resolved as opposed to non-malignancies. In general, however, the number of new cases remains stable, at about 52,000 new case per year.