The thorough Peoria mesothelioma and asbestos lawyers at Throneberry Law Group are deeply embedded in the local community. We proudly serve the residents of Fulton, Marshall, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford counties as part of a statewide team of Illinois mesothelioma lawyers. Our strong connections to Central Illinois motivate us to obtain fair compensation for the thousands of asbestos exposure victims in this area. That compensation usually includes money for economic and non-economic losses, and additional punitive damages are often available as well.
Asbestos Exposure Diseases
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining around the lungs and other organs that is difficult to accurately diagnose and successfully treat.
Occupational and environmental cancers, such as mesothelioma, are inherently difficult to diagnose. Most of these victims have no obvious cancer, genetic, or lifestyle markers. Furthermore, since mesothelioma has such a long latency period, when patients complain of initial symptoms (such as shortness of breath), doctors dismiss these symptoms as “getting older.”
Additionally, if doctors find cancer cells, they often misdiagnose the disease as NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer), a far more common condition that is far less aggressive. Reliable NSCLC treatments do not put a dent in mesothelioma tumors.
Diagnosis delays create treatment issues. The cancer survival rate has improved significantly since the 1990s, largely due to better early detection techniques. But when a doctor identifies mesothelioma, the cancer is often already in Stage II or Stage III. Treatment options are limited at this point.
Some advanced genetic treatments are currently available. However, these treatments are largely experimental and cost millions of dollars per round of therapy.
Categories of Possible Victims
Peoria is well-known for its diversity. Similarly, asbestos exposure victims are diverse, a fact that complicates diagnosis even further. Mesothelioma often blindsides doctors and victims alike. Common mesothelioma victims include:
Direct Occupational: For many years, heavy industry workers, such as workers at the sprawling Caterpillar Tractor facility in Peoria, handled asbestos-laced components with little or no personal protective equipment (PPE). To perpetuate the “asbestos is harmless” myth, many companies did not issue proper PPE and/or understated the need for it.
Indirect Occupational: Asbestos fibers are microscopic in size and only slightly heavier than air. Therefore, these tiny particles often drift onto clothing and other surfaces. They also drift into parking lots and other common areas. So, people who worked at such facilities were exposed to asbestos, even if they had white-collar positions.
Direct Ambient: Since asbestos fibers cling to clothes, these workers often unwittingly carried these fibers home with them, where they infected friends and loved ones. According to some estimates, such take-home asbestos cases were severely underreported. Many victims believed their illnesses were simply bad luck.
Indirect Ambient: Disaster exposure and cross-contamination may be the two best examples of indirect ambient victims. The 9/11 disaster created an asbestos-laced cloud that blanketed much of New York City. Talc-asbestos, perhaps the most common example of cross-contamination, is tied to poor quality control in some consumer powder products.
If you fall into any of these categories, reach out to a Peoria mesothelioma and asbestos lawyer before you reach out to a doctor. Asbestos exposure tests are available, but many doctors refuse to administer these expensive tests. A lawyer gets the ball rolling.
Victim Compensation Available
We mentioned the kinds of asbestos exposure compensation available above. Now, let’s break them down in more detail.
Medical bills are usually the largest component of economic losses in a mesothelioma or other asbestos exposure case. These treatments are expensive, and most group health insurance companies do not cover injury-related costs. Since these diseases are often debilitating, lost wages may be substantial as well.
Non-economic losses include emotional distress, loss of consortium (companionship), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment in life. No one can put a price tag on such losses. To estimate them, a Peoria mesothelioma and asbestos lawyer typically multiplies the economic losses by two, three, or four, depending on the facts of the case and a few other factors.
Courts award punitive damages if the victim proves, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant intentionally disregarded a known risk. Companies knew about the health effects of asbestos as early as the late 1800s. Nevertheless, they continued to use this product, mostly because it was cheap. In other words, these companies put profits before people.
Known Asbestos Exposure Sites in Peoria
Peoria’s economy was built on heavy manufacturing, and bankruptcy trusts have recognized dozens of local sites as asbestos exposure locations. Caterpillar sits at the center of that history, with plants in Peoria, East Peoria, Mapleton, and Mossville that used asbestos in engines, foundries, gaskets, and insulation. Other recognized Peoria-area sites include the Keystone Steel and Wire plant in Bartonville, the Hiram Walker distillery and the Pabst brewery, Archer Daniels Midland, International Harvester, and the Central Illinois Light Company power stations such as the Edwards, Duck Creek, and Wallace plants. The Commonwealth Edison Powerton station in nearby Pekin, Bradley University, and older Peoria schools and hospitals round out the list of affected Peoria workplaces.
Connect With a Diligent Attorney at Throneberry Law Group
Asbestos exposure often goes unnoticed for years before it becomes mesothelioma or another disease. By the time symptoms show, treatment options are limited and expensive.
Likewise, these victims have limited legal options in many cases. Only an experienced Peoria mesothelioma lawyer at Throneberry Law Group can obtain the compensation they need and deserve. Start the process now with a confidential consultation.