The legal framework for asbestos claims varies state by state. Statute of limitations periods range from 1 year in Kentucky to 5 years in Missouri. The choice of where to file can be strategically significant for iron workers whose careers crossed state lines.
Industrial Exposure Archive — 9 state partner sites
The sites below are the state-specific archives in the Industrial Exposure Archive network. Each documents the jobsites, the courts, the statute of limitations, and the procedural framework specific to that state.
| State | Asbestos Archive | Personal-Injury SOL | Wrongful-Death SOL | IW Local |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | asbestosmissouri.com | 5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120) | 3 years | Local 2 St. Louis · Local 10 Kansas City |
| Illinois | illinoismesothelioma.com | 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202) | 2 years | Local 1 Chicago · Local 112 Peoria |
| Indiana | indianamesothelioma.com | 2 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4) | 2 years | Local 22 Indianapolis · Local 103 Evansville |
| Iowa | iowamesothelioma.com | 2 years (Iowa Code § 614.1) | 2 years | Local 577 Burlington |
| Kansas | mesotheliomakansas.com | 2 years (K.S.A. § 60-513) | 2 years | Local 606 Kansas City, KS |
| Kentucky | kentuckymesothelioma.com | 1 year (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140) | 1 year | Local 372 Cincinnati (covers N. KY) |
| Michigan | michiganmesothelioma.com | 3 years (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805) | 3 years | Local 25 Detroit |
| Ohio | ohioasbestosexposure.com | 2 years (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10) | 2 years | Local 17 Cleveland · Local 172 Columbus · Local 44 Cincinnati |
| Wisconsin | wisconsinmesothelioma.com | 3 years (Wis. Stat. § 893.54) | 3 years | Local 383 Madison |
Cross-state iron-worker careers
Many iron workers worked across state lines during their careers, traveling to the big steel-erection jobs. A Local 2 member from St. Louis may have set steel at the Wood River refinery in Illinois. A Local 1 member from Chicago may have worked jobs across Illinois and Indiana. A Local 25 member from Detroit may have worked the Ohio jobs. A Local 372 member from Cincinnati may have worked sites in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana — different SOL jurisdictions.
For cross-state cases, an experienced attorney can analyze which state’s law is most favorable to the specific facts — sometimes filing in the state where the worker lived, sometimes in the state where the exposure occurred, sometimes in a third state where the manufacturer’s bankruptcy trust was administered. Missouri’s 5-year SOL is often the most favorable for cases with any Missouri exposure connection.
States outside the Industrial Exposure Archive network
For iron workers in other states, the same general principles apply — statute of limitations runs from the date of medical diagnosis (not the date of exposure), and the choice of court can be strategically significant. The (314) 237-3332 consultation line at O’Brien Law Firm covers all 50 states; the firm associates with locally licensed counsel for cases requiring local court representation.