Experienced Kentucky mesothelioma lawyers help victims of an asbestos-related illness recover millions of dollars in damages. Industries like coal mining, construction, plumbing, railroad, and sheet metal have contributed heavily to asbestos exposure and resulting illnesses in Kentucky.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. We invite you to fill out our form today for a free Financial Compensation Packet, filled with information about experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Kentucky, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file an asbestos trust fund claim, and much more. 

We offer assistance to all areas of Kentucky, including:

Lexington, Louisville, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Covington, Hopkinsville, Richmond, Florence, Georgetown, Elizabethtown, Henderson, Nicholasville, Frankfort, Jefferson Town, Independence, Paducah, Radcliff, Ashland, Madisonville, Erlanger, Winchester, Murray, St. Matthews, Burlington, Danville, Fort Thomas, Shively, Newport, Shelbyville, Berea, Glasgow, Fort Campbell North, Bardstone, Mount Washington, Shepherdsville, Somerset, Lyndon, Lawrenceburg, Campbellsville, Fort Knox, Mayfield, Middlesbrough, Paris, Francisville, Versailles, Maysville, Oakbrook, Edgewood, Alexandria, Franklin, Elsmere, Harrodsburg, La Grange, Fort Mitchell, London, Hillview, Oak Grove, Flatwoods, Villa Hills, Middletown, Corbin, Mount Sterling, Russellville, Highland Heights, Morehead, Pikeville, Leitchfield, Taylor Mill, Cynthiana, Princeton, Monticello, Cold Spring, Wilmore, Central City, Bellevue, Fort Wright, Union, Lebanon, Douglass Hills, Buckner, Hebron, Hazard, Vine Grove, Dayton, Williamsburg, Prospect, Westwood Cdp, Crestwood, Hendron, Farley, Reidland, Ludlow, Columbia, Greenville, Benton, Scottsville, Hurstbourne, Massac, Paintsville, and more.

Why Do I Need a Kentucky Mesothelioma Lawyer?

If you have mesothelioma, you need a lawyer to help you seek compensation. Mesothelioma is a costly illness that requires expensive treatments that many patients must travel to get. Other costs are also associated with this disease, such as lost wages and home care.

Mesothelioma almost always results from negligent asbestos exposure. This means you can take action against the companies responsible for exposing you to asbestos.

How Can a Lawyer Help Me if I Have Mesothelioma?

The right lawyer can help you in several ways after a mesothelioma diagnosis:

• Review your case for free and explain your options
• Find all of your expenses to maximize the compensation you receive
• Investigate your past asbestos exposure to find evidence and build a strong case
• Negotiate a settlement with the companies responsible
• Litigate your case in court if necessary to seek a jury award
• File a claim with any asbestos trust funds you are eligible for
• Provide services at no cost until they win

How to Find Kentucky Mesothelioma Lawyers

Working with a lawyer to get the compensation you need is essential, but it is also important to choose the right lawyer. Asbestos lawsuits are complicated, and you need an expert. Don’t settle for a lawyer without experience handling asbestos cases.

Look for a lawyer with proven experience and wins for mesothelioma clients. They should also be part of a large firm with the resources necessary to investigate and win your case. While you want a lawyer in Kentucky, asbestos cases are often filed out of state. A large, nationwide firm is important.

The right lawyer should also offer a free initial consultation and contingency payment. You should have any fees to pay until they win you the compensation you deserve.

How Much Is My Mesothelioma Case Worth?

Compensation amounts in mesothelioma cases vary significantly. There are many individual factors your lawyer will consider to determine a fair amount:

• Your past and ongoing medical expenses
• Any travel expenses you have for getting treatment
• Future expected medical costs
• Personal and medical home care
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• The defendants involved and their degree of negligence

Most mesothelioma lawsuits end in settlements, which average between $1 and $1.4 million. Cases that go to trial and end in a jury award are often much higher, in the tens of millions of dollars.

If any of the companies that exposed you to asbestos went bankrupt, you will not be able to sue them for damages. You could be eligible to file a claim for compensation with an asbestos trust fund. These asbestos trusts still contain about $30 billion to compensate victims.

How Was I Exposed to Asbestos in Kentucky?

Asbestos found in coal mines has put workers in direct danger for decades. Most of the equipment used in coal mines, such as exhaust fans, drilling machinery, and other machines, were also made with asbestos due to its fire and heat-resistant properties.

In addition to coal miners, numerous Kentucky teachers and students risked exposure because of buildings constructed with asbestos. Georgetown College was discovered to have asbestos scattered throughout its residences when in 2011, a leak in one of the pipes put several students at risk.

Other schools in Kentucky known to have contained or to still have asbestos include:

• Carroll County High School, Carrollton
• Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown
• Burkhead Elementary School, Elizabethtown
• Highlands High School, Fort Thomas
• Johnson High School, Fort Thomas
• Ruth Moyer Elementary School, Fort Thomas
• Ballard High School, Louisville
• Indian Trail Elementary School, Louisville
• Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Jeffersonville
• Klondike Elementary School, Louisville
• Centre College, Danville
• Morehead State College, Morehead
• East Kentucky State College, Richmond

Also at risk were military men and women in the state. Fort Campbell, constructed during the World War II era, used asbestos in machinery, pipes, boiler rooms, and more.

After developing mesothelioma, a Kentucky resident who worked in a military boiler room in Grayson, Kentucky, filed an asbestos lawsuit. He worked around ship boiler parts that contained asbestos.

As a result, the plaintiff received $32 million from the Crane Co., the business responsible for crane manufacturing.

Other workers in the state who may have been exposed on the job include:

• Construction workers
• Plumbers
• Railroad workers
• Sheet metal workers

These are the workers in industries with the highest rates of asbestos exposure.

Which Companies Are Associated with Asbestos in Kentucky?

Chemical Companies

• Mathieson Chemical Company: Brandenburg
• M&T Chemical: Carrollton
• Carbon & Carbon Chemicals Corporation: Kevil
• Hooker Chemical Corporation: South Shore

Railroad Companies

• Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad: Raceland
• Northwestern Railroad: Russell

Power Companies

• Dix Dam Power Plant: Burgin
• Cooper Powerhouse: Burnside
• John Sherman Cooper Power Station: Burnside
• Green River Power Plant: Central City
• East Kentucky Power Corporation: Ford
• Kenneth C. Coleman Power Plant: Hawesville
• Big Sandy Power Station: Louisa
• Louisa Power: Louisa
• Spurlock Powerhouse: Maysville
• TVA Power Plant: Paradise
• Big River Power Company: Sebree
• Tyrone Power House: Tyrone

Ongoing Risks of Exposure to Asbestos in Kentucky

Unfortunately, for residents of Kentucky, the risk of asbestos exposure is not entirely in the past.

Asbestos Exposure in Older Buildings

Many older buildings throughout Kentucky still contain asbestos. They are a serious risk to individual and public health. The old asbestos materials can deteriorate and contaminate the air. Repairs, renovation, and demolition projects can also disturb asbestos and cause exposure.

In 2022, workers began demolishing the Ashland Oil Building in Ashland. It contained asbestos and other harmful materials and sat unused for years. During that time, it could have released asbestos into the area, putting nearby residents at risk.

Government and public workers in Kentucky are often at risk from asbestos in their workplaces. Firefighters in Taylor Mill are fighting an ongoing battle for a safer firehouse. The older building contains asbestos that has been damaged.

Natural Disasters and Asbestos Exposure

The devastating 2021 tornadoes that hit Kentucky highlighted yet another way residents may encounter harmful asbestos. When natural disasters, like tornadoes, destroy older buildings, they expose and spread asbestos.

The waste left behind puts residents at risk. Those with the greatest risk of exposure, though, are the workers: emergency responders, cleanup crews, and others.

Laws That Affect Asbestos-Related Lawsuits in Kentucky

State laws determine how asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits proceed. Your lawyer can explain how these laws might impact your case.

Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations puts a deadline on filing a lawsuit. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible to make sure you get your chance to seek justice and compensation.

• Under  Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413.080 et seq., plaintiffs filing an asbestos-related lawsuit must follow the same statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits.
• In Kentucky, the case must be filed within a year from the date that the asbestos-related disease was discovered or should have been reasonably discovered.
• For wrongful death lawsuits, plaintiffs must file within two years from the date of the victim’s death.

Take-Home Duty and Secondhand Exposure

Secondhand asbestos exposure occurs when a worker unknowingly brings asbestos fibers home on their clothing. This exposes people in the household, some of whom get sick as a result.

Kentucky does not recognize take-home duty, meaning that secondhand asbestos exposure victims cannot sue for damages. Take-home duty, which many states recognize, is the responsibility of a company to warn workers and their families of the risks of secondhand exposure.

What Are the Asbestos Safety Laws in Kentucky?

The Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Division for Air Quality enforces asbestos laws in Kentucky:

• Anyone working on an asbestos abatement project must be qualified by the state prior to starting the project.
• Written notification to the state must be accepted before starting an asbestos abatement project on any public building or facility.
• The only exclusion to the notification rule is single-family, residential homes, and apartment dwellings with fewer than four units.
• Written notification must be received at least 10 working days in advance.

For additional information and more in-depth details concerning asbestos laws in Kentucky, contact Kentucky’s DAQ office at 502-564-3999.

Mesothelioma Treatment in Kentucky

Look for a facility with physicians who specialize in asbestos-related illnesses.

Mesothelioma cancer and asbestosis are rare, so it’s crucial to seek treatment from doctors who specialize in these diseases and have the funding and resources to offer the best possible treatments.

The Markey Cancer Center in Lexington is a National Cancer Institute-designated facility with cutting-edge technology, specialists, and funding to expand the research on rare asbestos diseases.

Legal Help in Kentucky

If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify for substantial compensation. Remember to fill out our form to get your free Financial Compensation Packet, with information on experienced asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers in your area. If you have questions or need assistance, contact us toll-free at 800-793-4540.