A mesothelioma diagnosis changes everything for the person who receives it and for the family around them. The disease is almost always the result of asbestos exposure that happened years or decades earlier, often at a job the person took to support that same family. The mesothelioma lawyers at Collins Law Group, P.C. represent people across Illinois who were harmed by asbestos, and the families of those who did not survive. We serve clients in Naperville, Chicago, and throughout the state, and we hold the companies that made, sold, and used asbestos accountable for what they knew and failed to warn about.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, call (630) 527-1595 for a free, confidential case review. There is no fee unless we win.
No fee unless we win. Decades of experience in asbestos and toxic exposure cases. Free consultations, available 24/7, with home and hospital visits. We come to you.
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Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue that lines the lungs, the chest wall, and the abdomen. Most cases begin in the tissue around the lungs, which is called pleural mesothelioma. The disease can also form in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma) and, more rarely, in the tissue around the heart or the testicles. According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos exposure is the major risk factor for the disease.
It is an aggressive cancer, and for many people there is no cure. That reality is exactly why accountability matters. The companies responsible for asbestos exposure should bear the cost of the harm they caused, not the family that is already carrying the weight of the illness.
Asbestos exposure is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. When asbestos-containing material is disturbed, it releases microscopic fibers. People breathe those fibers in or swallow them, and the fibers lodge in the lining of the lungs or the abdomen, where they can cause the cellular damage that leads to cancer years later.
Mesothelioma does not appear right away. According to the Mayo Clinic, it can take 15 to 40 years or more to develop after a person is first exposed to asbestos. That long latency period is why so many people diagnosed today were exposed decades ago, sometimes at jobs they left long ago and sometimes at companies that no longer exist. It is also why exposure history has to be investigated carefully. You do not need to know the name of the product or the company that exposed you in order to have a case. Reconstructing that history is our job.
Mesothelioma is one of several diseases tied to asbestos. If you are researching exposure more broadly, our Illinois asbestos lawsuit lawyer page covers the full range of asbestos-related claims, including lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer, and asbestosis. Asbestos can also contaminate talcum powder, and if you or a loved one used talc products, our Illinois talcum powder lawyer page explains those claims.
For most people with mesothelioma, the exposure happened at work. Asbestos was used for decades because it resists heat and fire, which made it common across the trades and heavy industry. Workers at higher risk of asbestos exposure include:
Exposure did not stop at the jobsite. Workers carried asbestos fibers home on their skin and clothing, which put spouses and children at risk of what is often called take-home or secondhand exposure. If a member of your household worked around asbestos, that history matters to your case.
Symptoms depend on where the cancer starts, and they are easy to mistake for less serious conditions, which can delay diagnosis.
If you have been diagnosed after any history of asbestos exposure, it is worth learning what your legal options are while the deadlines to act are still open.
A mesothelioma diagnosis is serious, and we will never pretend otherwise. What we can say is that treatment has moved forward, and people diagnosed today have options that did not exist a decade ago. Care is tailored to the person and to the type and stage of the disease, and it often combines surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and newer immunotherapy.
One of the biggest changes came in 2020, when the FDA approved the immunotherapy combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab (Opdivo and Yervoy) as a first-line treatment for unresectable pleural mesothelioma. It was the first new systemic treatment regimen the FDA had approved for this cancer since 2004. Leading centers such as the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center run dedicated mesothelioma programs and clinical trials that continue to test promising new approaches, including immunotherapy and cell-based therapies.
For medical guidance, the National Cancer Institute and specialized centers like MD Anderson are reliable places to start. Our role is the legal side. We work to make sure the companies responsible for your asbestos exposure help pay for the care you need, so that cost is one less thing standing between you and the best available treatment.
Talk with an Illinois mesothelioma lawyer today. Call (630) 527-1595 for a free, confidential case review. You pay nothing unless we win.
Two groups of people commonly bring mesothelioma claims in Illinois. The first is the person who was diagnosed with the disease. The second is the family of a person who died from it.
A person living with mesothelioma can bring a personal injury claim against the companies responsible for the asbestos that caused the disease. When a person dies from mesothelioma, Illinois law allows the family to pursue a wrongful death claim through the personal representative of the estate, along with a survival claim for what the person endured before death. These claims can be brought whether the exposure happened at a jobsite, through a consumer product, or through take-home exposure in the home.
Illinois sets firm deadlines for these cases, and missing one can end a claim before it begins. Two deadlines matter most.
For a personal injury claim, Illinois law (735 ILCS 5/13-202) requires the action to be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrues. Because a disease like mesothelioma is hidden for so long, Illinois applies what is known as the discovery rule, so the two-year clock generally starts when the person knew or reasonably should have known both that they were injured and that the injury was wrongfully caused, rather than on the date of the exposure itself.
For a wrongful death claim, Illinois law (740 ILCS 180/2) requires the action to be commenced within two years after the death of the person. The specific deadline that applies to any given case depends on its facts, and some circumstances can shorten the time you have. Because of that, the safest step after a diagnosis or a death in the family is to speak with a lawyer promptly rather than wait.
The goal in a mesothelioma case is to recover the full measure of what the disease has taken and will take. Depending on the case, that can include:
Recovery in mesothelioma cases often comes from more than one source. Many companies that used asbestos in their products set aside money in asbestos bankruptcy trust funds to pay current and future claims, and a claim against those trusts can run alongside a lawsuit against solvent defendants. This is part of the broader toxic chemical exposure and environmental work our firm has done for years.
Mesothelioma cases are built on history. The exposure that caused the disease often happened decades ago, and proving it means reconstructing where a person worked, what products they handled, and which companies put asbestos into those products. We do that investigative work so you do not have to. We identify the responsible companies, gather the evidence, bring the claim in the right court, and press it toward the strongest possible result, at trial if that is what it takes.
We also understand what a family is carrying while a case is pending. Our approach is to handle the legal fight so you can focus on your health and the people around you. We are plaintiff-side trial lawyers. We represent injured people and grieving families, never the companies that caused the harm. You can review our case results to see the kind of outcomes we fight for.
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue that lines the lungs, chest wall, and abdomen. Most cases start in the lining around the lungs. It is an aggressive cancer, and asbestos exposure is its major cause.
Asbestos exposure is the primary risk factor for mesothelioma. Less common factors have been associated with the disease as well, including prior radiation therapy to the chest and certain inherited genetic changes. For the large majority of people with mesothelioma, asbestos is the cause.
It usually takes a long time. Mesothelioma commonly develops 15 to 40 years or more after a person is first exposed to asbestos. That is why people diagnosed today were often exposed decades ago.
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer, but treatment has advanced. Options can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, and in 2020 the FDA approved an immunotherapy combination as a first-line treatment for unresectable pleural mesothelioma. Specialized centers such as MD Anderson run mesothelioma programs and clinical trials. Your medical team guides treatment; our job is to secure the compensation that helps pay for it.
For a personal injury claim, Illinois generally requires the case to be filed within two years after the claim accrues, and Illinois applies a discovery rule that ties the start of that period to when the person knew or should have known of the injury and its wrongful cause. For a wrongful death claim, the case generally must be filed within two years after the death. Deadlines depend on the facts, so it is best to speak with a lawyer promptly.
Often, yes. Illinois law allows the family to pursue a wrongful death claim through the estate’s personal representative, generally within two years of the death, along with a survival claim for what the person endured. The specific deadlines turn on the facts, so it is worth speaking with a lawyer as soon as you can.
No. Many people do not know which product or company exposed them, especially when the exposure happened decades ago. Reconstructing that exposure history is part of what a mesothelioma lawyer does for you.
Depending on the case, recovery can include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, the cost of care, and, in a wrongful death case, compensation for the family’s loss and funeral expenses. Asbestos bankruptcy trust funds may also be a source of recovery alongside a lawsuit.
Nothing up front. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no legal fee unless we win your case. The consultation is free.
A mesothelioma diagnosis comes with legal deadlines, and the sooner you understand your options, the more of them you have. Waiting only narrows what is possible.
Collins Law Group, P.C. represents seriously injured victims and grieving families throughout Illinois. We offer free consultations, we work on a contingency fee basis, and you pay nothing unless we win. If you cannot come to us, we will come to you.
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