Missouri Mesothelioma & Asbestos Lawyer
Missouri workers have experienced significant asbestos exposure in the aerospace, food processing, and chemical industries. Asbestos exposure also occurs outside the workplace through consumer goods and building components in residences and commercial buildings. If you have developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, the companies that exposed you to the toxic substance are to blame. A Missouri mesothelioma lawyer can help you hold them accountable.
Legally Reviewed By: Jonathan Armour
Senior Attorney, Mesothelioma & Asbestos Litigation
- Page Last Updated:
- August 19, 2024
Why Should You Choose a Missouri Mesothelioma Attorney at the Lanier Law Firm?
Our Featured Missouri Mesothelioma Lawyers
Our Missouri Mesothelioma Attorneys Can Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve
Companies in Missouri with a History of Exposing People to Asbestos
Occupations in Missouri with the Highest Risks of Asbestos Exposure
Non-Occupational Sources of Asbestos Exposure in Missouri
What to Do If You Have Been Exposed to Asbestos in Missouri
When Should I Contact a Missouri Mesothelioma Attorney?
Mesothelioma is a deadly illness that affects people decades after exposure to asbestos. Asbestos exposure most often occurs in the workplace, but the substance may also be present in the home, a public school, or a commercial structure. Asbestos exposure can also stem from using consumer goods, such as cosmetic products containing asbestos-contaminated talc.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reported 269 new mesothelioma cases in Missouri from 2016 to 2020 and 228 deaths from the disease during the same period. This is a death rate of approximately 4.2 per 100,000, which is significantly higher than the national mesothelioma death rate of one per 100,000.
Asbestos exposure can also lead to lung cancer and asbestosis—both devastating, fatal diseases. According to the Environmental Working Group, for every mesothelioma death, 3.2 to four people die of asbestos-related lung cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, an experienced Missouri mesothelioma lawyer at the Lanier Law Firm can help you recover substantial compensation from the companies that exposed you to asbestos.
Why Should You Choose a Missouri Mesothelioma Attorney at the Lanier Law Firm?
When you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, you need an experienced, resourceful legal team unafraid to go to trial against large corporations that will spare no expense to avoid compensating their victims.
Our mesothelioma attorneys have over 250 years of combined experience standing up to asbestos companies and making them pay billions of dollars in compensation to our deserving clients.
Although the vast majority of our cases settle, the threat of going against our award-winning mesothelioma lawyers in court provides us with leverage to negotiate some of the highest settlements in the history of mesothelioma litigation. Our accomplishments have won the attention of the legal community and news media.
As a result, our Missouri mesothelioma attorneys have been recognized with such accolades as Best Lawyers in America, Most Feared Plaintiffs Law Firm, and Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdict. Our record of results includes the following settlements and verdicts:
- $4.69 billion historic verdict in St. Louis on behalf of 22 women against Johnson & Johnson for asbestos-contaminated talc in baby powder
- More than $3 million for a Missouri mechanic and heavy equipment operator exposed to asbestos
- $4.5 million for a man exposed to asbestos through joint compound
- $2 million settlement for a former shipyard worker who contracted pleural mesothelioma
Unsolicited Client Feedback
Our clients are more than just case numbers to us. We care about each one and the difference a successful case resolution can make in their lives. We regularly receive unsolicited feedback from our clients, such as the following:
My father was treated with great dignity, honesty, and compassion. Because of his illness, we weren’t able to travel, but that was no problem because they came to us. Quickly. I have never been made to feel like a bother or nuisance when I call with questions. I am always treated with the same kindness and respect that my father received. Lanier Law Firm has gone above and beyond to research every company that had a hand in this horrible cancer! They are making sure that the ones who caused his illness and ultimately, his death, have had to pay for their crimes. There aren’t enough stars to rate this law firm!
–Kristy Brown
Thank you for the overwhelming support, empathy, professionalism, and compassion during the most difficult and heartbreaking time of our lives. We will forever be grateful to all of the staff at Lanier. Listening to me cry every time I called couldn’t have been easy, but you all always took the time to comfort me. Thank you for all you do!
–Stacy Larson
The Lanier Law firm has been such a blessing for our family. My mother passed away from mesothelioma. The many settlements my father received allowed him to live comfortably until he passed away at 95. The Lanier law firm was very professional and always answered our questions promptly. I am very grateful for all of their guidance.
–Nancy K.
Our Featured Missouri Mesothelioma Lawyers
Mark Lanier
Mark LanierMark Lanier is the founder of the Lanier Law Firm and one of the world’s most successful, experienced mesothelioma lawyers. He has won more than $20 billion in verdicts and settlements, and he is passionate about righting the wrongs committed against individuals by large corporations.
He is well-known for his ability to win over juries through his innovative use of technology and his unconventional style in the courtroom, which often includes the use of handmade props. In the legal community, he is a mentor, professor, and featured speaker.
He is regularly invited to share his legal opinions with major news networks and lecture at prestigious law schools such as Stanford Law, Harvard Law, and Pepperdine School of Law. The New York Times has referred to Mark Lanier as one of the top civil trial lawyers in the nation.
Mark Lanier has received the most prestigious awards and recognitions offered to members of the legal profession, including the following:
- Legal 500 Hall of Fame
- America’s Top 100 Attorneys
- Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers
- National Trial Lawyers Trial Lawyer of the Year
- Leading Lawyers in Plaintiffs’ Dispute Resolution
- 50 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S. by the National Trial Lawyers Foundation
- Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Association of Justice
Jonathan Armour
Jonathan ArmourJonathan Armour has been rated a Top 40 Under 40 lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Foundation. He began clerking for the Lanier Law Firm as an undergraduate and continued to do so yearly throughout law school. The Lanier Law Firm made him a permanent member of the team in 2007 after he graduated due to his strong work ethic and communication skills.
He is a member of the Christian Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. He is known for his exceptional litigation skills and is a trained mediator, which makes him especially effective in settlement negotiations.
Our Missouri Mesothelioma Attorneys Can Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you have almost certainly been exposed to asbestos during the past several decades. The companies that exposed you to asbestos could have prevented your illness by disclosing to the public the research it kept hidden from as early as the 1930s.
Instead, these companies sacrificed workers’ health to protect their profits and accrue wealth. Today, they use that wealth to resist compensating the workers whose health they sacrificed to gain it.
Prevailing against these companies requires a determined law firm not intimidated by their vast resources or expensive lawyers—a law firm willing to go to whatever lengths are necessary to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. This is what we do at the Lanier Law Firm.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits
In a mesothelioma lawsuit, you may be able to recover the following types of damages:
- Economic damages – compensation for monetary losses
- Non-economic damages – compensation for pain and suffering
- Punitive damages – damages awarded to punish a defendant
Economic damages include medical expenses, lost wages, and the value of services you can no longer perform for yourself, such as personal care or housekeeping. These damages include projected future losses.
Punitive damages in Missouri are only awarded when you can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant intentionally harmed you without just cause or acted with a blatant disregard for your safety. We have consistently proven in mesothelioma cases that the conduct of asbestos companies meets this standard.
There is no limit to the damages you can recover in Missouri. Punitive damages were limited in the past, but the state Supreme Court ruled these limits unconstitutional.
The Effect of Death on Missouri Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Tragically, mesothelioma patients often have a short life expectancy. As a result, some patients never file a lawsuit for fear that it will not resolve before they pass away. However, Missouri law recognizes that the tragic death of a plaintiff should not stand in the way of justice.
As a result, a personal representative, often a family member, may continue the case after death and pursue the same damages the deceased could have recovered had they lived. This is known as a survival claim.
In addition, a personal representative may file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover compensation for the losses of the family stemming from a mesothelioma death. In a Missouri wrongful death action, the following economic and non-economic damages are available:
- Funeral expenses
- Loss of your loved one’s income
- The reasonable value of services provided by your lost loved one
- Loss of consortium by the spouse
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of comfort
- Loss of instruction, training, guidance, and counsel
- Loss of support
While a family may recover the pain and suffering of the deceased in a survival claim, the pain, suffering, and grief of the family are not recoverable in Missouri. However, punitive damages are available without limitation in wrongful death cases.
Asbestos Trust Funds
After the health effects of asbestos exposure became widely known in the late 1970s, thousands of injured workers began to sue the asbestos companies. Damages in a single mesothelioma lawsuit can be substantial, even in the millions. As a result, some asbestos companies became overwhelmed by their liabilities and filed for bankruptcy.
The Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Code requires bankrupt asbestos companies to establish asbestos trust funds to benefit people who developed asbestos-related illnesses after their companies exposed them to asbestos.
An asbestos trust fund claim is filed directly with the fund rather than through the court system. This provides a pathway to receiving compensation that is often faster than in a lawsuit. Our clients often qualify to file one or more asbestos trust fund claims in addition to a mesothelioma lawsuit.
The following asbestos companies in Missouri have filed for bankruptcy and established asbestos trust funds:
- Eagle-Picher
- Pittsburgh Corning Corporation
- W.R. Grace
VA Claims
If you are a United States military veteran with a mesothelioma diagnosis, you may have been exposed to asbestos in the service. While you cannot sue the military, you may be eligible to receive benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. These benefits may include the following:
- Disability compensation – a tax-free monthly benefit for disabled veterans
- Free medical care with no deductibles
- A VA pension
Survivor benefits are available for the family of veterans who passed away from a service-connected illness, such as mesothelioma.
You can file a VA claim online, by mail, or in person at the St. Louis Regional Office.
Veterans exposed to asbestos while serving our country may also be able to sue the companies that supplied asbestos to the military.
Workers’ Compensation Claims
If you were exposed to asbestos in the workplace, you may qualify for a workers’ compensation claim. Most employers in Missouri must provide workers’ compensation, a no-fault insurance system that provides certain economic damages for a workplace injury or occupational illness.
Missouri workers’ compensation laws require that you report your diagnosis to the employer within 30 days. Workers’ compensation provides partial wage replacement if you were still working when you were diagnosed. Free medical care is also available, even if you have already retired.
Medical Care
When you receive workers’ compensation benefits, state law gives employers the right to choose your doctor. Medical benefits include reimbursement for mileage up to 250 miles from home. If you live outside the state, the employer can select a treatment provider within 100 miles of your residence.
Survivors’ Benefits
If you are a family member of a worker who has passed away from an asbestos-related illness, you may be entitled to receive survivors’ benefits through workers’ compensation. These benefits include up to $5,000 for burial costs and the same weekly payments the worker would have received had they lived.
Wage Replacement
Most injured workers receiving weekly wage replacement benefits get 66% and two-thirds percent of their average weekly earnings up to the state maximum. However, Missouri workers diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis receive the following enhanced benefits:
- Workers with a mesothelioma diagnosis can receive 300 percent of the average weekly wage for up to 212 weeks.
- Workers diagnosed with asbestosis may receive 200 percent of the state weekly wage for up to 100 weeks. If you develop mesothelioma later, your benefit is increased as long as your total benefits do not exceed the maximum for mesothelioma.
At the expiration of these time frames, your weekly payments revert to the 66 and two-thirds percent received by other workers. If you have already retired, received a denial of benefits, or are otherwise inadequately compensated, you have a right to file a lawsuit for benefits for up to two years after the denial or final payment.
Monthly benefits are available if you were still working or had worked within the last year preceding your diagnosis. The amount you receive is based on your average weekly wage.
Companies in Missouri with a History of Exposing People to Asbestos
Missouri is home to a diverse array of industries, all of which historically used asbestos during their early years. The most important industries in Missouri, according to WorldAtlas, are as follows:
- Agriculture
- Aerospace
- Transportation equipment
- Chemicals
- Financial services
- Electrical equipment
- Publishing and printing
- Manufacturing
The top manufacturing cities in Missouri, in order, are as follows, according to Industry Select:
- St. Louis
- Kansas City
- Springfield
A study by the Environmental Working Group has found that the highest number of mesothelioma cases have historically occurred in St. Louis County. Jackson County is in second place, but the number is significantly lower than St. Louis County. The area with the third-highest mesothelioma cases is St. Charles County.
This incidence is not surprising since St. Louis or Kansas City is located within or near each of these counties. Shipyards are known to expose workers to especially high levels of asbestos because it is used extensively throughout ships. The St. Louis Shipyard and Dry-Dock Service has a full-service wood fabrication workshop and does various repair work.
The companies in Missouri known to have exposed workers to asbestos are listed below.
Agriculture
- American Cyanamid Company
- Pan American Seed Company
Transportation Equipment
- American Car & Foundry, Incorporated
- Bendix Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company
- Missouri Pacific Railroad
- St. Louis Shipyard
- The Boeing Company
Power Generation, Energy, and Oil
- Amoco Oil Company
- Combustion Engineering
- Eagle-Picher
- Emerson Electric
- Kansas City Power and Light
- Missouri Power & Light
- Nooter Corporation
- Shell Oil
- Standard Oil Refinery
- Wagner Electric Corp
- Western Electric Co
Building materials
- Ash Grove Cement Company
- Certain-Teed Products Corporation
- GAF Corporation
- Harbison-Walker Refractories
- Hi-Temp Refractories
- Kaiser Refractories
- Pittsburgh Corning Corporation
- Pittsburgh Plate & Glass
- Universal Atlas Cement Company
- W.R. Grace & Company
Asbestos Products
- Empire Asbestos Products Company
- Standard Asbestos Company
Food and Beverage Manufacturers
- Anheuser-Busch, Incorporated
- Archer Daniels Midland Company
- Falstaff Brewing
- Kraft Food Company
- Liquid Carbonic Corporation
- MK Goetz Brewing Company
- Quaker Oats Company
Chemicals
- Dow Chemical Company
- Hercules, Incorporated
- Union Carbide Corporation
Steel and Metals
- Armco Steel
- Carondelet Foundry
- Continental Can Company
- Fulton Iron Works
- Granite City Steel Company
- Laclede Steel Company
- Sheffield Steel Corporation
Industrial products
- Continental Boiler
- Crane Company
Military Installations
- Fort Leonard Wood
General Manufacturing
- General Electric Company
- International Shoe Company
Telecommunications
- Southwestern Bell
Our Missouri Mesothelioma Attorneys Can Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve
Occupational asbestos exposure is the most common source. The workers with the highest risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses are those exposed to high levels of asbestos daily over an extended period. However, there is no known safe level of asbestos exposure, and even a one-time exposure can lead to mesothelioma.
Workers in the following occupations have the highest risks of developing asbestos-related illnesses in Missouri:
- Construction workers
- Electrical Power Linemen
- Industrial engineers
- Aerospace engineers
- Plumbers and pipefitters
- Teachers
- Mechanical engineers
- Aerospace engineers
- Railyard Workers
- Firefighters
- Carpenters
- Electricians
- Boilermakers
- Millwrights
- Welders
- Power Plant Workers
- Maintenance workers
- Shipyard workers
- Factory workers
- Steelworkers
- Army veterans
Non-Occupational Sources of Asbestos Exposure in Missouri
The workplace is not the only source of asbestos exposure in Missouri. During the early to mid-1900s, asbestos was used in nearly every building component and thousands of consumer goods, many of which were used daily in homes and businesses.
Asbestos in Your Home
According to a fact sheet provided by the City of Springfield, asbestos may be found in the following components of your home:
- Roofing shingles
- Siding shingles
- Insulation in homes built between 1930 and 1950
- Textured paint and patching compounds in homes built before 1977
- Artificial ashes, embers, and other fireplace accessories
- Stove-top pads
- Areas surrounding woodburning stoves
- Flooring
- Insulation around hot water pipes or steam pipes
- Door gaskets in oil and coal furnaces
Most asbestos was discontinued in building products in 1980, except for asbestos-containing vermiculite, which was discontinued in 1990. This vermiculite came from a large mine in Libby, Montana, and was marketed and sold as Zonolite, a form of loose-fill insulation.
Asbestos in Consumer Goods
Consumer goods containing asbestos included hair dryers, clothing irons, oven mitts, and cosmetic products that contained talc. Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder is one notable product that had a place in nearly every American household throughout the 1900s, which was sometimes tainted with asbestos.
This product has been associated with pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and ovarian cancer. Johnson & Johnson advertised its product as a personal hygiene product for women. The company refuses to take responsibility for the thousands of women who used it as directed and contracted these deadly diseases, many of whom have died.
Our $4.69 billion verdict against this massive company was historical because it forced a large corporation to pay a significant sum to its victims and was the first successful lawsuit to connect asbestos to ovarian cancer.
Johnson & Johnson appealed the verdict to the Missouri Supreme Court, which denied Johnson & Johnson a hearing, upholding the final award of $2.11 billion, which Johnson & Johnson had to pay.
Johnson & Johnson still refuses to admit that its product was harmful. However, it no longer uses talc in baby powder marketed and sold in the United States.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure
In some cases, asbestos entered the home when an exposed worker carried it home on work clothing. Once in the home, asbestos fibers can enter the heat and air conditioning ducts and travel throughout the home. Family members can experience especially high exposure when coming in contact with clothing, such as during laundering.
This is known as secondary asbestos exposure. Our law firm has won significant settlements and verdicts for family members who developed mesothelioma through secondary exposure, including the following:
- $3.859 settlement for the family of a deceased woman exposed to asbestos through her husband’s work clothes
- $2 million settlement for the family of a deceased woman exposed to asbestos-contaminated industrial talc on her husband’s work clothes
- $1.895 million settlement for the wrongful death of a woman exposed to asbestos through her husband’s work clothes
- $1.5 million settlement for a woman who developed pleural mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in cosmetic talc and through the clothing of her husband, who was an automotive brake mechanic.
What to Do If Your Home Is Contaminated with Asbestos
If you suspect you have asbestos in your home, the only safe course of action is to leave it in place and hire a state-certified asbestos inspector to determine whether it poses a hazard. Asbestos that is encapsulated or undamaged often does not pose a hazard. It generally becomes dangerous when it is damaged. As a result, it is often safer to leave asbestos in place than to remove it.
Professionals who inspect or remove asbestos must become licensed and certified through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. This process complies with federal asbestos laws and regulations, which are primarily implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA.
Asbestos in Commercial Buildings
Commercial buildings constructed before 1980 were generally built with asbestos, and most of these buildings still contain asbestos today. This includes such buildings as the following:
- Factories
- Government buildings
- Shopping centers
- Office buildings
- Apartment complexes
Commercial structures contained asbestos in many of the same structures as residences, such as insulation, plumbing pipes, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, and drywall.
Commercial buildings with steel beams often were lined with friable asbestos—a type that is easily damaged—which was sprayed onto the surface of the beams to increase their fire resistance.
In cooperation with the EPA, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources requires contractors and owners of commercial buildings to provide at least 10 days’ notice before performing demolitions, renovations, or asbestos abatement.
Asbestos in Missouri Schools
Many Missouri school buildings were built in the mid-1900s when asbestos was in widespread use. The most common school areas harboring asbestos are floor tiles, plumbing pipes, ceiling tiles, and wall insulation. In some cases, the asbestos in these materials becomes damaged through wear and tear over time.
The following Missouri schools have identified asbestos hazards in recent years:
- Paris High School
- Columbia Elementary in Joplin
- Bernard Elementary School in the Mehlville School District
Schools must inspect facilities for asbestos under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, a provision of the Toxic Substances Control Act, which is enforced by the EPA. Public schools must report the results of these inspections to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
If friable or damaged asbestos is found, the report should include a plan for how the school will remedy it. Non-friable asbestos must be re-evaluated at least once every three years.
The results of these assessments are public information. If you are concerned about asbestos in the schools, you have a right to request a copy of the most recent assessment from the respective school.
What to Do If You Have Been Exposed to Asbestos in Missouri
Learning that you have been exposed to asbestos is frightening, but there is no legal recourse until you develop an asbestos-related illness. Not everyone who was exposed to asbestos develops a related illness. Once you receive a diagnosis, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible to initiate your legal case.
More importantly, if you develop potential mesothelioma symptoms such as shortness of breath, persistent coughing, chest pain, or gastrointestinal symptoms, it is important to be evaluated by a doctor who knows you have been exposed to asbestos. Mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed, resulting in the condition being diagnosed at a late stage, which worsens your prognosis.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options in Missouri
Family doctors and general oncologists can be very talented but still have difficulty diagnosing or treating mesothelioma because it behaves differently from other forms of cancer. It is also challenging to diagnose, even for a specialist who knows to look for it.
A doctor who specializes in mesothelioma can generally provide a more timely diagnosis and the most effective treatment. Mesothelioma doctors often work in specialized treatment centers or larger cancer centers with mesothelioma programs.
The following treatment centers in Missouri provide mesothelioma treatment:
- Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City
- St Louis University Cancer Center
- Missouri Baptist Medical Center Cancer Center in St. Louis
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
When Should I Contact a Missouri Mesothelioma Attorney?
It is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible after your diagnosis or after the death of your loved one. In Missouri, the time limit for filing a mesothelioma lawsuit, known as the statute of limitations, is five years from the diagnosis date. For a wrongful death lawsuit, a lawsuit must be filed within three years of the death.
When you contact the Lanier Law Firm, our experienced and compassionate attorneys will spend as much time with you as possible to build a detailed life history. This will help us identify all of your sources of exposure and maximize the compensation you can recover.
We will need to gather your employment, medical, and financial records to calculate your case value and start building your case. We will also access our extensive database of evidence against the specific companies involved in your case, which we have gathered from previous investigations. When necessary, we will perform new investigations.
Our attorneys are passionate about winning the compensation necessary to make a real difference in our clients’ lives.
Contact the Lanier Law Firm Today
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be eligible for substantial compensation. At the Lanier Law Firm, we will take the stress out of your legal case while you focus on medical treatment. Our attorneys will always be accessible to you and will keep you informed about the progress of your case.
We do not charge upfront fees for our services. You pay us nothing until after we successfully recover your compensation. If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, you deserve compensation. Contact us today to schedule a free case review.
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