And finally, just as in the asbestos cases, there is a long latency period for realizing damages.

FORBES: LIBOR Liabilities: How litigation will drive down banks profitability for years to come...

Asbestos-related problems have a long latency period, while treatment has become more expensive.

ECONOMIST: Asbestos claims

Because of its widespread use, inadequate protection by manufacturers, and long latency period (it takes about 12 to 20 years after exposure before symptoms appear), an almost un-quantifiable number of people have been harmfully exposed to asbestos.

FORBES: LIBOR Liabilities: How litigation will drive down banks profitability for years to come...

After the medical findings about asbestos in the 1960s, it became possible to sue for damages correlated with long-latency exposure to a substance.

FORBES: Are We Thwarting Medical Innovation?

Further complicating matters is the demand for low "latency, " the networking term for how long it takes information to travel across the cable.

WSJ: A Dive Into the Digital Deep

The latency period between radiation exposure and the onset of cancer has been documented to be as long as several decades.

FORBES: French System For Cleaning Fukushima Water Blamed For Leukemia, Polluted Beaches In Europe