The legal framework for asbestos claims varies state by state. Statute of limitations periods range from 1 year in Kentucky to 5 years in Missouri. The choice of where to file can be strategically significant for pipefitters and steamfitters whose careers crossed state lines.

Industrial Exposure Archive — 9 state partner sites

The sites below are the state-specific archives in the Industrial Exposure Archive network. Each documents the jobsites, the courts, the statute of limitations, and the procedural framework specific to that state.

StateAsbestos ArchivePersonal-Injury SOLWrongful-Death SOLUA Local
Missouriasbestosmissouri.com5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120)3 yearsLocal 268 St. Louis · Local 533 Kansas City
Illinoisillinoismesothelioma.com2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202)2 yearsLocal 597 Chicago · Local 101 Belleville
Indianaindianamesothelioma.com2 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4)2 yearsLocal 440 Indianapolis · Local 136 Evansville
Iowaiowamesothelioma.com2 years (Iowa Code § 614.1)2 yearsLocal 33 Des Moines · Local 125 Cedar Rapids
Kansasmesotheliomakansas.com2 years (K.S.A. § 60-513)2 yearsLocal 441 Wichita
Kentuckykentuckymesothelioma.com1 year (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140)1 yearLocal 502 Louisville · Local 452 Lexington
Michiganmichiganmesothelioma.com3 years (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805)3 yearsLocal 636 Detroit metro
Ohioohioasbestosexposure.com2 years (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10)2 yearsLocal 120 Cleveland · Local 392 Cincinnati · Local 219 Akron
Wisconsinwisconsinmesothelioma.com3 years (Wis. Stat. § 893.54)3 yearsLocal 75 Milwaukee

Cross-state pipefitter careers

Many pipefitters and steamfitters worked across state lines during their careers. A Local 268 member from St. Louis may have worked Wood River refinery in Illinois. A Local 597 member from Chicago may have worked Whiting refinery in Indiana. A Local 636 member from Detroit may have worked the Ohio steel mills. A Local 392 member from Cincinnati may have worked sites in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana — all three different SOL jurisdictions.

For cross-state cases, an experienced attorney can analyze which state’s law is most favorable to the specific facts — sometimes filing in the state where the worker lived, sometimes in the state where the exposure occurred, sometimes in a third state where the manufacturer’s bankruptcy trust was administered. Missouri’s 5-year SOL is often the most favorable for cases with any Missouri exposure connection.

States outside the Industrial Exposure Archive network

For pipefitters and steamfitters in other states, the same general principles apply — statute of limitations runs from the date of medical diagnosis (not the date of exposure), and the choice of court can be strategically significant. The (314) 237-3332 consultation line at O’Brien Law Firm covers all 50 states; the firm associates with locally licensed counsel for cases requiring local court representation.

Free consultation — (314) 237-3332