Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyer

How Can an Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyer Help Me?

An Illinois mesothelioma lawyer with years of experience may be able to help you or a U.S. veteran in your family get compensation for this cancer.

These attorneys handle all of the legal work so you won’t have any extra stress in seeking financial aid for your mesothelioma.

Asbestos lawyers in Illinois can help:

Determine if you can file for compensation
Gather evidence to build your case
File claims to seek money for you

Illinois mesothelioma lawyers won’t take legal action against any branch of the U.S. military or government. U.S. veterans with mesothelioma can still get benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) if they work with a lawyer.

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center works with a veteran-founded Illinois mesothelioma law firm, with top lawyers on staff who may be able to help you. Get started by downloading our FREE Questions to Ask a Mesothelioma Lawyer checklist.

What Areas of Illinois Do Mesothelioma Lawyers Serve?

Mesothelioma lawyers serve asbestos victims in many Illinois cities, like:

Alton
Aurora
Berwyn
Bloomington
Chicago
Cicero
Decatur
Des Plaines
Elgin
Evanston
Fairview Heights
Franklin Park
Gages Lake
Glenwood
Hampshire
Hillsboro
Island Lake
Itasca
Joliet
Justice
Knox
LaSalle
Morris
Mount Vernon
Naperville
North Barrington
Oak Brook
Oglesby
Paris
Peoria
Rockford
Rock Island
Springfield
St. Louis
Tinley
Troy
Urbana
Union
Vermilion
Vernon Hills
Waukegan
Winnebago

A mesothelioma attorney in Illinois may be able to help you or a loved one even if you don’t see your city listed.

Eligibility for Working With Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyers

If you live in Illinois and have mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos, you could be eligible to work with a lawyer. You may also qualify if a loved one died from mesothelioma.

Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma. Companies made and sold products containing asbestos for decades, hiding the risks from the military and general public.

A mesothelioma lawyer in Illinois can file legal claims against these companies on your behalf if you qualify. Money from a successful claim can help pay for treatments and other bills.

Contact us to find out your eligibility. We may be able to help even if you don’t remember exactly when and where you were exposed to asbestos.

Statute of Limitations

Every state has statutes of limitations on how long you have to file lawsuits.

Did you know?

The statute of limitations in Illinois is 2 years from the date you were diagnosed with mesothelioma. If a loved one died from mesothelioma, you also have 2 years from the date of the death to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Don’t miss your chance to file: Our team can connect you with Illinois mesothelioma lawyers right now. Call (877) 450-8973 even if you think time has run out — there may be other compensation options available.

Types of Compensation for Mesothelioma in Illinois

An Illinois mesothelioma lawyer may be able to help you pursue several types of asbestos compensation. Learn about the different types below.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits

Illinois mesothelioma lawyers can file lawsuits against companies that made and sold asbestos-containing products.

$1 Million

Average Settlement

*varies case by case

Mesothelioma lawsuits award over $1 million on average, with many U.S. veterans and civilians getting even more compensation. And, with an Illinois mesothelioma lawyer’s help, it’s possible to get the first payouts from a lawsuit in 90 days or less.

Asbestos Trust Funds

Some asbestos companies can’t be sued since they filed for bankruptcy protection. But, these companies may have set up asbestos trust funds, and you may be entitled to some of that money.

Asbestos trust funds contain over $30 billion today, and you may be owed money from multiple trusts depending on which asbestos products you were exposed to. A lawyer can find out which trusts you qualify for and file trust fund claims on your behalf.

Military Benefits

U.S. veterans with mesothelioma qualify for the highest VA benefit payouts, since mesothelioma is almost always considered a 100% disability. As of 2023, this comes out to over $3,800 a month in many cases.

Veterans can also get free or low-cost medical treatments if they have VA health care coverage.

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can help you file for VA benefits or increase your existing VA payouts. Further, you’ll be able to seek financial aid from VA benefits, lawsuits, and asbestos trusts all at the same time.

Mesothelioma Claim Filing Process in Illinois

Illinois asbestos attorneys make the legal process much easier for you and your family. Learn about the filing process below.

1. Contact an Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyer

Get in touch with an Illinois mesothelioma attorney to learn if you’re eligible to file a case.

This consultation should be entirely free as the best Illinois mesothelioma attorneys work on a contingency basis. This means there are no upfront fees to work with them.

2. Gather Evidence

If you qualify, your Illinois mesothelioma lawyers will start collecting evidence to build your case.

This evidence may include:

Employment records: Work records can help identify the asbestos products you were exposed to.
Military service records: These can help establish that you were exposed to asbestos while serving.
Medical documents: These confirm that you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma.

3. File the Mesothelioma Lawsuit

Using the evidence collected, Illinois mesothelioma attorneys can determine which asbestos companies can be sued. They’ll then file the lawsuit against these companies within set deadlines.

You won’t file the mesothelioma lawsuit yourself, saving you time and stress.

4. Negotiate Compensation

After the lawsuit is filed, your Illinois mesothelioma lawyers will try to negotiate a settlement to resolve it.

If successful, you’ll get paid by the asbestos companies, and the lawsuit won’t move forward to trial. Your attorney will negotiate for the highest payout in your case.

Mesothelioma settlements generally result in faster compensation than trials.

However, your attorneys will also be prepared in case they need to take your case to trial, during which a judge and/or jury will determine how much money (if any) you get.

Illinois Asbestos Settlement and Verdict Amounts

The average mesothelioma settlement awards $1 million to $1.4 million, according to Mealey’s® Litigation Report: Asbestos.

However, our partner Illinois mesothelioma attorneys have retrieved even more compensation in some cases.

Notable Illinois mesothelioma settlements and verdicts we’ve secured include:

$12 million

for a laborer

$3.4 million

for a U.S. Navy veteran

$2.8 million

for the loved ones of a heavy equipment worker

$1.8 million

to the family of a U.S. Army veteran

Do you have questions about mesothelioma lawsuits or finding skilled lawyers in Illinois? Ask VA-accredited attorney Jonathan Nelson now!

Illinois Residents and Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos-containing products were used across Illinois work sites, buildings, and military assets for decades. In fact, there are over 5,500 high-risk asbestos exposure sites in the state.

The risks of asbestos became public knowledge in the early 1980s, but those exposed prior to this time are still in danger of mesothelioma today since the cancer takes 10-50 years to develop.

Find high-risk asbestos exposure sites in Illinois below.

Asbestos Job Sites

Illinois has long been a hub for industries that relied on asbestos. If you worked at power plants, oil refineries, construction sites, shipyards, and other industrial locations, you were likely exposed to high levels of asbestos.

One of the most notable exposure areas is the former Johns-Manville site in Waukegan. This site contained 150 acres of asbestos waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated it as a Superfund cleanup site.

Other Illinois asbestos exposure sites include:

A&M Insulation Company
Abbott Power Plant
American Oil Company
Burlington Paving Brick Company
Calumet Shipyard
Chicago International Airport
Crescent Forge & Shovel Company
Franklin Hospital
Illinois Power Company
Mount Sinai Hospital
Peru Nursing Home
Rock Island Southern Railroad Company

Military Bases

The U.S. military relied on asbestos products for decades to keep its bases and other assets sturdy and fireproof.

Asbestos-based materials were used to build many U.S. military bases in Illinois, as well as base housing and other buildings.

Illinois military bases and buildings that used asbestos include:

Chanute Air Force Base
Great Lakes Naval Training Station
Joliet Army Ammunition Plant
Rock Island Arsenal
Scott Air Force Base

Areas of Illinois Linked to Asbestos-Related Deaths

Because of the widespread use of asbestos throughout the state, many U.S. veterans and civilians living in Illinois pass away each year from asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.

From 1999 to 2017, Illinois accounted for 12,067 asbestos-related deaths.

Areas of Illinois with the highest death rates linked to asbestos include:

Cook County: 3,863 deaths between 1999-2017 (about 203 deaths per year)
DuPage County: 909 deaths between 1999-2017 (about 47 deaths per year)
Lake County: 897 deaths between 1999-2017 (about 47 deaths per year)
Will County: 641 deaths between 1999-2017 (about 33 deaths per year)

Had asbestos companies revealed the risks of their products and put safety first, far fewer people would have died from mesothelioma and other illnesses.

While the pain of losing a loved one to mesothelioma can never be undone, you can hold asbestos companies accountable.

Get our Questions to Ask a Mesothelioma Attorney checklist to find the answers you need and the justice you deserve.

Find an Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyer Today

Our partner Illinois mesothelioma lawyers stand ready to help you and U.S. veterans you love take legal action.

When you work with the Mesothelioma Veterans Center, you can:

File legal claims that pay out over $1 million on average for mesothelioma
Increase your VA payouts while still pursuing legal compensation
Retrieve financial aid without suing the U.S. military or government

Don’t delay: Connect with mesothelioma attorneys now at a veteran-founded law firm based in Illinois.

Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyer FAQs

Does it cost anything to work with Illinois mesothelioma lawyers?

No. Illinois asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers do not charge upfront fees. They work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only get paid after they secure financial aid for you.

Will Illinois mesothelioma lawyers sue the military?

No. Illinois mesothelioma lawyers typically sue companies that made and sold asbestos-containing products to the military.

These companies knew the risks of asbestos but kept them hidden for decades — putting U.S. veterans at risk of mesothelioma later in life.

Can I still file for VA benefits if I work with Illinois mesothelioma lawyers?

Yes. The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can help you get VA benefits for mesothelioma and work with top asbestos lawyers in Illinois. In fact, we may be able to increase your monthly VA benefit payout.

Learn more now by calling (877) 450-8973.