(1) Courts of this state shall construe this part liberally with regard to successors.
(2) This part shall apply to an asbestos claim filed against a successor on or after May 8, 2012. This part shall apply to a pending asbestos claim against a successor in which trial has not commenced as of May 8, 2012, except that any provision of this part that would be unconstitutional if applied retroactively shall be applied prospectively.