This Chicagoland community was the home of much industrial activity through most of the 1800s and early 1900s. When the factories moved elsewhere, Waukegan became associated with racial, labor, and other kinds of violence. Despite all this, some 250 years after its founding in 1778, the town is still standing. In fact, Waukegan is the largest city in Lake County.
The assertive Waukegan mesothelioma lawyers at Throneberry Law Group know a thing or two about perseverance as well. We serve Waukegan and Lake County as part of a statewide team of Illinois mesothelioma lawyers, and we handle these cases on a contingency fee, so there is no cost to talk.
Asbestos Exposure Victims
Many Waukegan residents are at risk for asbestos exposure diseases, like mesothelioma, and don’t even know it, generally because they used products laced with asbestos.
Talc-asbestos cross-contamination is a good example. These two minerals are as different as salt and pepper. But like these two common table seasonings, talc and asbestos almost always exist side by side.
Asbestos, one of the world’s toughest minerals, does not conduct heat, sound, or electricity. These qualities make it an ideal insulator. Talc, one of the world’s softest minerals, is a common ingredient in talcum powder and other cosmetic products.
Chemically, asbestos and talc are both basically silicone and water. So, they are usually near each other, or even intermingled with each other, while underground. If a few talc particles contaminate asbestos insulation, the effect is minimal. But if a few asbestos particles contaminate talcum powder, the effect is deadly.
When asbestos-contaminated talc is used on the body, the fibers are linked to ovarian cancer. Asbestos-laced talc is also associated with mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other serious lung diseases, which are often fatal. Anyone who used talc products for years, or who worked around asbestos, should share that history with a doctor and a lawyer.
Because these diseases develop so slowly, once physical symptoms appear, medical treatment options are limited.
Finding the Right Waukegan Mesothelioma Lawyer
The diagnosis delay means that legal options may be limited as well. Illinois’ statute of repose is a good example. Section 13-213 cuts off construction defect claims, such as talc-asbestos cross-contamination, after a certain number of years.
This statute is often inapplicable, and even if it is, other alternatives are available. These challenges simply mean that the road to fair compensation in an asbestos exposure case may be long and winding.
As a result, only a handful of Waukegan personal injury lawyers are qualified to take on such cases. The right asbestos lawyer has:
Experience: Because these cases are so much different from other personal injury matters, asbestos litigation experience is critical. Furthermore, your lawyer should be an experienced winner, not an experienced loser.
Dedication: Some lawyers take on a few asbestos cases here and there, mostly for existing clients. Undedicated asbestos lawyers are unable to properly evaluate all available legal options, as mentioned above.
Accessibility: Your Waukegan mesothelioma lawyer should be professionally and logically accessible. Good lawyers do not hide behind non-lawyer assistants and have office locations throughout the area.
An experienced, dedicated, and accessible Waukegan mesothelioma lawyer is well-positioned to obtain maximum compensation. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages may be available as well.
Resolving Mesothelioma Cases
Most Waukegan mesothelioma lawyers avoid trial if possible. Many of these victims face millions of dollars in medical bills and other losses. They need compensation now and not later.
A legal settlement fits the bill. The litigation process could take several years. The settlement process, while long, is considerably shorter. Additionally, out-of-court settlements give victims more control over the outcome.
Furthermore, an out-of-court settlement is a final resolution. When asbestos defendants lose court cases, they usually appeal those decisions. But when asbestos defendants settle cases, they usually write checks immediately.
Additionally, a non-legal option may be available. A bankruptcy victim compensation fund claim is a good example.
These claims are especially common in industrial exposure cases. Many such companies filed for bankruptcy rather than face the music for their wrongdoing. Federal judges allowed such bankruptcies, as long as the companies poured money into victim compensation funds.
Today, these funds still contain tens of billions of dollars. A Waukegan mesothelioma lawyer must still prepare and present the case as if it’s going to trial. But since another attorney does not challenge the victim’s evidence, the process is somewhat more straightforward.
Known Asbestos Exposure Sites in Waukegan
Waukegan’s lakefront was heavy-industry country for most of the twentieth century, and the clearest example is the Johns-Manville plant, which made asbestos building products on the shore of Lake Michigan from 1928 until 1985. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists the 150-acre asbestos disposal area as a Superfund site, where about three million cubic yards of asbestos waste were left behind.
Workers were not the only ones at risk. The Commonwealth Edison Waukegan and Zion generating stations, the U.S. Steel and American Steel and Wire works, the Outboard Marine (Johnson Motors) plant, the North Shore Gas and coke plants, and the Goodyear tire plant all relied on asbestos insulation, as did Lake County employers like Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago. Older Waukegan schools and the Victory Memorial and St. Therese hospitals added still more.
Reach Out to a Dedicated Attorney at Throneberry Law Group
Long, often unnoticed asbestos exposure is usually what leads to mesothelioma and related diseases. Treatment is limited and costly, and it rarely comes soon enough. The sooner a Waukegan family gets answers, the more legal options tend to be available.
Likewise, these victims have limited legal options in many cases. Only an experienced Waukegan mesothelioma lawyer at Throneberry Law Group can obtain the compensation they need and deserve. Start the process now with a confidential consultation.