Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Lawyer

Filing a Mesothelioma Claim in Pennsylvania

People diagnosed with mesothelioma, or their families, can work with a Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyer to file a personal injury lawsuit, wrongful death lawsuit or asbestos trust fund claim. High rates of asbestos-related disease in Pennsylvania result from asbestos exposure at steel mills, coal mines, power plants, oil refineries and shipyards across the state.

Experienced mesothelioma lawyers can assess your claim, the best place to file given the circumstances of your specific case and the type of claim they’ll pursue on your behalf. A statute of limitations applies in Pennsylvania, so it’s important to speak with a qualified attorney as soon as possible to receive the advice and guidance you need to move forward with your claim promptly.

Key Facts About Filing in Pennsylvania

1. Plaintiffs with mesothelioma can file a Case Management Order. This sets deadlines and procedures for a case and helps speed up the process.
2. In Pennsylvania, defendants pay only for the harm they caused. This amount is decided and assigned during the trial.
3. Defendants aren’t held solely responsible if other wrongdoers are also found to be at fault.

Philadelphia ranks No. 4 among the top jurisdictions in the country for all types of asbestos lawsuits, according to KCIC’s latest industry report, Asbestos Litigation: 2024 Year in Review. Philadelphia also ranks No. 4 for mesothelioma lawsuits and No. 3 for asbestos lung cancer lawsuits.

Allegheny, PA ranks No. 11 for overall asbestos lawsuits and No. 10 for both mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer lawsuits. These claims seek financial compensation to help families pay for medical bills and other expenses connected with asbestos-related diseases.

Benefits of Hiring a Mesothelioma Lawyer in Pennsylvania After Asbestos Exposure

Pennsylvania asbestos lawyers know how the state’s laws may affect your case. These laws define who can file a mesothelioma lawsuit, the procedural rules and the calculation of damages. 

How much legal responsibility or liability can be assigned to a defendant and rules for transferring liability during a merger or takeover are also part of Pennsylvania’s laws. Local attorneys can guide you through the state’s complex legal system. They’ll explain every part of your claim, from filing the lawsuit to getting compensation.

Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Law Firms

Some of the top national asbestos law firms have locations in or near Pennsylvania. These include: Weitz & Luxenberg in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, which services Pennsylvania residents; Meirowitz & Wasserberg in Philadelphia; and Nemeroff Law in Pittsburgh.

Local firms have a track record of success in the state. They often offer free case reviews where you may ask them to discuss cases they’ve litigated with details like yours. Feel free to ask questions and ensure you’re comfortable. Excellent candidates should have good communication skills and make you feel comfortable discussing the details of your case. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it’s in your best interest to hire a top mesothelioma attorney. An expert lawyer can give you the best chance of obtaining the compensation you need to cover medical bills, lost wages and other expenses related to your disease. 

Nationwide Asbestos Law Firms Outside Pennsylvania

Working with Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyers from top national asbestos law firms has advantages. Among these are their extensive knowledge, experience and access to extensive resources  such as databases about asbestos job sites in Pennsylvania. They also have a network of asbestos experts who can help build your case. 

Nationwide law firms offer to come to you at no cost. Top national law firms include Cooney & Conway, Nemeroff Law, Weitz & Luxenberg and Simmons Hanly Conroy.

While you may live in PA, if your exposure happened elsewhere or the company responsible has its headquarters elsewhere, your lawyer may advise you to file your claim in a state other than Pennsylvania. In these cases, there are benefits to working with a national firm with offices across the country. These attorneys can help you with each step of the process.

Asbestos Compensation in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania mesothelioma attorneys have helped residents, family members and estates secure substantial compensation through settlements and court verdicts against asbestos companies responsible for exposure. These claims seek mesothelioma compensation to help patients and their loved ones pay for medical bills and other expenses connected with asbestos-related diseases.

• $25 Million: In 2022, a Philadelphia jury awarded $25 million to asbestosis patient and Navy veteran Richard Daciw and his wife. John Crane, which manufactured asbestos packing, was the only defendant left when the case went to trial.
• $10 Million: In 2010, a Philadelphia jury awarded $10 million to a mesothelioma patient who claimed Melrath Gasket’s asbestos products caused their disease.
• $7 Million: In 2008, a Pennsylvania jury awarded $7 million to the estate of a man who died of mesothelioma after working with the asbestos products of several different manufacturers.
• $4.8 Million: In 2015, an appeals court in Pennsylvania affirmed a combined $4.8 million verdict for 2 women who filed lawsuits because their husbands died of mesothelioma after occupational exposure to asbestos.
• $2.3 Million: In 2012, a Pennsylvania jury awarded $2.3 million to the widow of a sheet metal worker and mechanic who developed mesothelioma after working with asbestos products throughout his career.
• $1.7 Million: In 2016, a Philadelphia jury awarded $1.7 million to the widow and estate of a man who died of mesothelioma after working with asbestos products from 1962 to 2001.
• $1 Million: In 2016, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld a $1 million verdict for a man who claimed asbestos in Ford Motor Co. brake pads caused his mesothelioma.

It’s common for top asbestos law firms to secure mesothelioma settlements of $1 million or more for clients. Law firms can also get clients 6-figure payouts from asbestos trust funds. The national average asbestos trial verdict amount is $20.7 million.

Pennsylvania State Laws and Regulations

Current federal and state laws regulate asbestos in Pennsylvania. The departments that oversee Pennsylvania’s asbestos laws are the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. 

The Department of Environmental Protection oversees the removal, disposal and transportation of asbestos products in the state. It also sets the penalties for failing to meet state regulations regarding asbestos removal.

• Asbestos Occupations Accreditation and Certification Act: Requires notification of any asbestos abatement project to the state a week in advance.
• Penalties Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection Set: Outlines the monetary fines and criminal penalties for people who fail to meet state regulations governing asbestos removal.
• Pennsylvania General Assembly Chapter 55: Defines statutes of limitations in Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania General Assembly Section 7102: Outlines Pennsylvania’s negligence laws.

The Department of Labor and Industry governs labor laws regarding asbestos removal and the management of asbestos lawsuits. A Pennsylvania mesothelioma attorney practicing with a nationwide firm has the training and experience to interpret how these laws impact your case.

How Are People Exposed to Asbestos in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvanians may have been exposed to asbestos near the state’s naturally occurring deposits and mining areas. Most residents were exposed on the job in the state’s industrial sites. Pennsylvania currently ranks third in the U.S. for mesothelioma deaths and fourth in the country for asbestosis deaths. 

The state was home to huge centers for shipbuilding, which heavily used asbestos until the 1970s. For example, Sun Shipbuilding in Chester exposed workers and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard exposed veterans to asbestos. 

Pennsylvania Sites Known for Asbestos Exposure

• Alan Wood Steel Company and Allegheny Ludlum Steel: Both facilities have had documented asbestos exposure. Steel mills and metal factories have a history of using asbestos for its heat-resistant properties.
• Ambler Asbestos Piles: Asbestos plants generated toxic asbestos waste that required the EPA to intervene at the 25-acre site in Ambler. It became a Superfund site in 1986. The site was removed from the Superfund list in 1996 following cleanup efforts. 
• Asbestos mines: There were 4 asbestos mines in the southeastern region of Pennsylvania. U.S. Geological Survey records show 37 asbestos deposits in the state. Highly carcinogenic amphibole asbestos was found in these mines. 
• Bethlehem Steel Shipyard: This shipyard was a major employer in eastern Pennsylvania and extensively used asbestos in its operations. 
• BoRit Asbestos Site: The site in Ambler was used from the early 1900s to the late 1960s to dispose of asbestos-containing material from a nearby manufacturing plant. In 2009, the site was added to the EPA’s National Priorities List, making it eligible for cleanup using federal Superfund program funding. Remedial work was completed at the site in 2018.
• Fisher Scientific: Many lawsuits related to asbestos exposure at the Pittsburgh plant have been filed. 
• Penna Light, Heat & Power Co., Pennsylvania Light & Power Co. and Harrisburg Light & Power Co.: All 3 companies used asbestos to insulate their power plants. Because asbestos was widely used in power plants, many workers face a high risk of exposure due to the nature of their work environment.
• Philadelphia Naval Shipyard: The country’s first shipyard was involved in shipbuilding and repair for almost two centuries. Shipyards historically used large amounts of asbestos, which resists corrosion and heat. 
• Pittsburgh Airport: In 1997, the EPA fined Allegheny County for violating federal asbestos regulations. The EPA says the violation was related to the salvage of an old terminal building at the airport. 
• Rock Hill Quarry: Workers found actinolite asbestos at the site in Bucks County in December 2018 during routine testing. The state quickly shut down mining operations at the site. Mining activities were ordered to stop in December 2020. The long-term future of the site is undetermined. 
• Sun Shipbuilding & Drylock: It launched its first ship in 1917 during World War I. The company expanded and played a significant role in shipbuilding during World War II at the height of asbestos use.
• Vermiculite Plants: There are multiple vermiculite plants in the state. Pennsylvania was one of the many states that received large shipments of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from Libby, Montana from 1948 to 1993.

In addition to manufacturing and industrial sites, legacy asbestos in older buildings pose a risk across the state. Legacy asbestos in schools has historically been a significant issue in Pennsylvania. In September 2020, authorities charged 3 school district officials with child endangerment linked to lead and asbestos, but the charges were dropped in 2021. Asbestos also caused 11 school closings during the 2019-2020 school year.

Ambler Asbestos Exposure

Ambler was once known as the asbestos product manufacturing capital of the world. A borough in Montgomery County, located 16 miles north of Philadelphia, its first asbestos plant opened in 1896 and its last plant closed in 1987.  

In 1882, Henry Keasbey and Dr. Richard Mattison moved their business, Keasbey & Mattison Company, from Philadelphia to the village of Wissahickon. Dr. Mattison discovered how to make pipe insulation using asbestos, and the company began focusing on asbestos products. As the business grew, the village became known as the factory town of Ambler. 

The company produced many asbestos items such as shingles, tiles, gloves and fireproofing spray. During the Great Depression, K&M had financial problems and was sold to Turner & Newall in 1934. In 1962, Certainteed Corporation and Nicolet Industries bought the company. 

Patient Advocate Danielle DiPietro notes, “People often believe the only way to develop mesothelioma is to work with asbestos products throughout their career. But people living in Ambler had high levels of exposure simply while walking outside. People who lived in Ambler, especially before the 1990s, should be aware of the risk of environmental exposure they had and talk to their doctor.”

Marian Levin

Verified Asbestos.com Survivor

Survivor May Have Been Exposed to Asbestos Working in Pennsylvania Schools

Marian was diagnosed with pleurisy and had fluid around her lungs drained three times. The fourth time led to exploratory surgery and a pleural mesothelioma diagnosis. “I worked in schools where there probably was asbestos. They say it can be up to 70 years after exposure before mesothelioma is diagnosed,” she told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com.

Marian Levin

Verified Asbestos.com Survivor

Read Marian’s Story

Occupations & Industries Known for Asbestos Exposure in Pennsylvania

Anyone who worked jobs in construction, manufacturing, industrial work, power generation or the U.S. armed forces was at risk of exposure. Many of Pennsylvania’s industries historically have a higher risk of developing asbestos-related diseases because of prolonged exposure. Their families were also at risk of secondary exposure.

Some of the most at-risk occupations were the widespread coal mines across the western part of the state. Asbestos parts and insulation on mining machinery exposed coal miners.

Higher-Risk Jobs in Pennsylvania

• Chemical plant workers
• Coal miners
• Construction workers
• Insulation installers
• Manufacturing plant workers
• Metal workers
• Military personnel
• Miners
• Oil refinery workers
• Power plant workers
• Railroad workers
• Shipbuilders
• Teachers

Cases where defendants knowingly put workers in danger of asbestos exposure continue to arise. Pennsylvania companies that owned shipyards, metal works and railways created the danger of occupational exposure. Examples in Pittsburgh include LTV Steel and USX Corporation. Bethlehem Steel and its shipyard exposed residents of Bethlehem.

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