Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyers
A mesothelioma diagnosis brings immediate demands, from making treatment decisions to thinking about your family’s future. A legal claim adds another challenge: tracing asbestos exposure that could have happened decades ago. At The Gori Law Firm, our Illinois mesothelioma lawyers draw on more than 20 years of experience litigating these claims to investigate former job sites, asbestos products, military service, and the companies connected to each source of exposure.
With multiple offices across Illinois, we combine local access with the resources of a nationwide practice. We work on a contingency-fee basis, so you pay nothing upfront and owe no legal fee unless we recover compensation for you.
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- Serving Mesothelioma Patients Across Illinois
- More Than $4 Billion Recovered Nationwide
- Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit in Illinois
- What Recent Legal Developments Mean for Illinois Asbestos Claims
- Illinois Asbestos Exposure and Industrial Sites
- Get Help With Your Illinois Mesothelioma Claim
- Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyer FAQs
- Related Posts
Serving Mesothelioma Patients Across Illinois
With offices in Edwardsville, Belleville, and Granite City, we represent mesothelioma patients and families throughout Illinois, including those who moved away from where they were exposed. Because a client’s current address doesn’t always determine where a claim should be filed, we consider the locations and companies connected to the exposure before explaining the available options. When treatment makes travel difficult, we’ll meet with you at home or your treatment center.
Clients come from communities across Illinois, including:
- Chicago
- Aurora
- Joliet
- Naperville
- Rockford
- Elgin
- Springfield
- Peoria
- Champaign
- Waukegan
- Cicero
- Bloomington
- Schaumburg
- Evanston
- Arlington Heights
- Bolingbrook
- Decatur
- Normal
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More Than $4 Billion Recovered Nationwide
Since The Gori Law Firm opened, we’ve proudly recovered over $4 billion for victims nationwide.
Our Award-Winning Illinois Asbestos Attorneys
Many of our knowledgeable mesothelioma lawyers grew up in Illinois. They’ve dedicated their practices to supporting victims suffering from the repercussions of asbestos exposure. Their years of experience help them secure the best possible outcomes for clients.
Our mesothelioma and asbestos lawyers in Illinois have won recognition from many prestigious organizations, including the following:
- Super Lawyers
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- Lawyers of Distinction – Personal Injury
- National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40
- Super Lawyers Rising Star
- The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys Top 10 Under 40 in the State of Illinois
- Emerging Lawyer
- National Trial Lawyers Civil Plaintiff – Top 40 Under 40 Attorneys
- Leading Lawyer
- National Trial Lawyers Top 10 Asbestos/Mesothelioma – Illinois
- AV Pre-Eminent
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- National Asbestos Mesothelioma Trial Lawyers
- Lifetime Achievement of America’s Top 100 Attorneys
- AV by Martindale-Hubble
Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit in Illinois
After a mesothelioma diagnosis, more than one claim could provide compensation. The right approach depends on how the exposure occurred, which companies were involved, and whether the patient served in the military. We review those details and coordinate any related filings so you understand what is being filed and why.
Why File a Mesothelioma Lawsuit in Illinois?
Illinois remains a national center for asbestos litigation. KCIC reports tracking more than 90% of asbestos filings nationwide, and its 2025 midyear analysis identified Madison and St. Clair Counties as the country’s two busiest jurisdictions. Cook County also maintains a dedicated asbestos litigation docket.
The same analysis placed our firm among the five plaintiffs’ firms with the highest filing volumes. Our legal team draws on that experience when applying Illinois procedures and established precedent, but we still review each client’s exposure history before deciding where the claim belongs.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits
After a mesothelioma diagnosis, more than one claim could provide compensation. The right approach depends on how the exposure occurred, which companies were involved, and whether the patient served in the military. We review those details and coordinate any related filings so you understand what is being filed and why.
Asbestos Trust Funds
When asbestos companies entered bankruptcy, courts required many of them to establish asbestos trust funds for people harmed by their products. A trust claim requires medical documentation and evidence tying the exposure to the bankrupt company. If the exposure involved several companies with active trusts, claims against more than one fund could be available. Because trust payments could affect a related lawsuit, our legal team coordinates the filings and required disclosures.
VA Claims
Veterans exposed to asbestos during military service could qualify for disability compensation. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs decides asbestos-related claims individually based on the evidence connecting the health condition to military service. A VA claim is separate from a lawsuit against the companies that supplied asbestos products to the military, so we evaluate both paths when the evidence supports them.
Wrongful Death
When mesothelioma takes someone’s life, the estate’s personal representative may file a wrongful death lawsuit for the benefit of the surviving spouse and next of kin. Compensation may address lost financial support and services, loss of society, and the grief, sorrow, and mental suffering caused by the death. Funeral and burial expenses may be recoverable through a separate or related claim, depending on the circumstances.
How Long Do I Have to File a Mesothelioma Lawsuit in Illinois?
Illinois generally gives mesothelioma patients or their families two years to file, but the date that starts the clock depends on the type of claim:
- Personal injury: Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, a claim generally must be filed within two years after it accrues. For asbestos cases, the Illinois Supreme Court’s discovery rule generally starts the clock when the person knew or reasonably should have known about the illness and that it was wrongfully caused.
- Wrongful death: Under 740 ILCS 180/2, the estate’s personal representative generally has two years from the date of death to file.
Other rules could change these deadlines, so an early case review matters.
What Recent Legal Developments Mean for Illinois Asbestos Claims
In Martin v. Goodrich Corp., a 2025 case, the Illinois Supreme Court clarified a 2019 law affecting workers whose occupational diseases take years to develop. The court ruled that a worker may sue an employer when a legal time limit prevents the worker from receiving benefits under the Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act. This rule can apply even if the disease was discovered after the 2019 law took effect, even if the workplace exposure occurred many years earlier. Depending on the circumstances, the worker, surviving family members, or another eligible person may bring the lawsuit.
Federal rules have changed, too. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2024 rule phases out the ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos covered by the rule on different schedules. It doesn’t remove asbestos already installed in older workplaces and buildings. Whether either development affects a claim still depends on the exposure history, diagnosis, and timing.
Illinois Asbestos Exposure and Industrial Sites
For decades, Illinois workers encountered asbestos-containing insulation and heat-resistant products around boilers, pipes, turbines, furnaces, and industrial equipment. Cutting, repairing, or removing those materials could release asbestos fibers into the air and leave dust on workers’ clothing, putting both workers and their families at risk.
Older asbestos materials still create concerns during maintenance, renovation, and demolition. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency oversees regulated asbestos during these projects.
High-Risk Industries in Illinois
Illinois workers encountered asbestos in several industries where heat-resistant insulation and equipment were common:
- Steel mills: Asbestos-insulated furnaces, boilers, pipes, and other high-heat equipment.
- Oil refineries: Workers handled insulated pipes, pumps, valves, and processing equipment during maintenance and repairs.
- Power generation plants: Boilers, turbines, generators, and steam lines contained asbestos products.
- Manufacturing facilities: Asbestos appeared in machinery, building materials, gaskets, and protective equipment.
- Railroad yards: Maintenance crews worked around asbestos insulation, brake components, and locomotive equipment.
Notable Illinois Jobsites
Documented Illinois asbestos exposure sites include industrial facilities throughout the state, such as:
- Wood River-area refineries: Standard Oil, Shell Oil, and Clark Oil facilities
- Joliet industrial sites: Amoco Oil, Mobil Oil Refinery, and Joliet Power Plant
- Chicago steel operations: U.S. Steel, Republic Steel, Interlake Steel, and Wisconsin Steel Works
- Central and northern Illinois power plants: Byron Nuclear Power Plant, Clinton Power Station, and Quad Cities Generating Station
These are representative examples, not a complete list. A jobsite name alone doesn’t establish exposure. Our attorneys examine the work performed, the products used nearby, and when the person worked there to trace possible exposure sources.
Illinois Workers and Veterans at Higher Risk
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies construction and manufacturing among the types of work associated with asbestos exposure. Illinois workers and veterans with greater exposure risks include:
- Pipefitters and boilermakers: Installed or repaired insulated pipes, boilers, and turbines
- Electricians: Worked near insulated equipment or cut into older walls and panels
- Construction workers: Disturbed insulation, flooring, ceiling tiles, and other materials during renovation or demolition
- Military veterans: Served aboard ships or at bases where asbestos was used around machinery, pipes, and other heat-resistant equipment
Get Help With Your Illinois Mesothelioma Claim
Compensation from a mesothelioma claim can help cover treatment costs and lost income. A claim can also seek accountability from companies responsible for asbestos exposure.
If you’re ready to discuss what happened, our Illinois mesothelioma lawyers will review the circumstances and explain which claims are available. Call 618-659-9833 or complete our online intake form to request a free case review.
Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyer FAQs
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Mesothelioma Lawyer?
Our Illinois mesothelioma attorneys work on a contingency basis. There are no upfront or hourly fees for our services, and we only receive payment if we successfully recover compensation for you. We provide free, no-obligation consultations to prospective clients interested in learning their legal options.
Will I Have To Travel to Meet With My Mesothelioma Attorney?
No. If you cannot travel to our offices, a mesothelioma lawyer in Illinois can visit your home or treatment center, wherever you feel most comfortable.
Can I File a Claim If My Loved One Has Already Passed Away?
Yes. A family can still pursue a claim after a mesothelioma patient dies, but Illinois requires the estate’s personal representative to file it. We can explain who is eligible to serve in that role and which deadlines apply.
What If I Don’t Know Where or When I Was Exposed to Asbestos?
That’s common because mesothelioma can develop decades after exposure. You don’t need to identify the exact product or jobsite before contacting us. We start with the details you remember, then use employment or military records and existing jobsite research to identify possible exposure sources.