Chicago was founded in 1833 and is the third-most populous city in the US. After the first railway was built in the city in 1848, the city grew quickly and the population soared. It soon became the home of many industries, including manufacturing, printing, publishing, and food processing.
The city’s deepwater ports and canals made Chicago a perfect location for shipbuilding, too. American Shipbuilding ran a shipyard there until the end of the 1970s. The first commercial power reactor was the Dresden Power Plant, a nuclear power plant on 900 acres. (mesothelioma.com)
Chicago’s history of heavy industry and industrial operations makes it a high-risk city for exposure to mesothelioma.
High-Industries for Asbestos Exposure in Chicago and Across Illinois
Many people in Chicago and across Illinois have died from mesothelioma, aggressive cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure. From 1999 to 2015, more than 2,000 Illinois residents died from asbestos cancer. Illinois has a mortality rate of nine people per million annually, according to the CDC. (CDC.gov)
La Salle, McLean, and Lake Counties in the state are ranked among the top 50 in the country with the highest death rate from mesothelioma from 2000 to 2009.
Oil Refineries
If you worked in an oil refinery in Chicago or Illinois, you could have been exposed to asbestos. Companies such as Citgo Petroleum Illinois and Mobil Oil Illinois were heavily reliant on asbestos for their work because of the mineral’s high heat resistance.
Manufacturing
Asbestos is useful for resisting extreme heat and many chemical reactions, so it became often used often in many manufacturing processes. Companies such as Nabisco Brands in Marseille and Kraft Foods in Champaign have been known to use asbestos in their plants.
Power Plants
Baldwin Power Plant and Clinton Power Station, along with several power stations near Chicago, used asbestos in their machinery, putting many workers at risk for asbestos exposure.
Steel Mills
Steel mills were notorious for using asbestos insulation to protect employees and equipment to protect them from extreme heat and possible fires. These steel mills, such as Granite City Steel and Keystone Steel and Wire, kept their machines safe from the heat with asbestos. But their workers were put in extreme danger with asbestos exposure.
Military
Mesothelioma is a major problem for military veterans because of how widely asbestos was used in the military. Illinois is home to several Army bases and arsenals, including Rock Island Arsenals, which contains asbestos. Many military veterans like in Chicago and may have been exposed to asbestos at military bases elsewhere in the state.
Superfund Sites
Chicago and Illinois do not have any active shipyards, the state is home to many sites that are on the EPA’s Superfund list. Two sites had to have clean up because of asbestos and other toxins.
Johns-Manville Corporation
This company started in 1901 after a merger between two corporations that focused on the processing and production of several asbestos-containing materials, such as cement and insulation. Over the years, their offerings increased to include more products that contained asbestos.
These included everything from asbestos paper and pipe covering to tiles for flooring. Gaskets and insulating materials also were often used for military vessels. The Waukegan site was used to dispose of asbestos for years until operations stopped in the 1990s.
The EPA took notice in the early 1980s and began remediation in 1982 as there was a large amount of asbestos in the soil.
Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Company
This site in La Salle was mostly used for zinc smelting that operated from the late 1800s until the late 1970s. Through many years of use, waste and pollution built up in the region. The site was put on the Superfund list in the early 2000s. The EPA found asbestos in waste and storage tanks that were taken from the site during the cleanup, as well as zinc and cadmium waste.
Chicago and Asbestos Lawsuits
Chicago and Illinois have been top venues for class action lawsuits and asbestos lawsuits. In the early 2000s, Madison County became one of the top jurisdictions for these lawsuits in the nation. The county took several steps so many asbestos cancer lawsuits could be handled over a short period of time.
One big benefit for mesothelioma patients is the fast-track filing process for patients who are terminally ill with mesothelioma. Most patients can have the case moved from filing to trial within 180 days. Even though there is a high volume of mesothelioma cases going through Madison County courts, most claims are settled out of court.
In 2010, a jury in Illinois awarded $1.5 million to the wife of a man who worked at US Steel and died of mesothelioma in 2009. He worked in the South Works plant in Chicago where he did electrical maintenance work and ran a boom truck from the 1950s until the 1980s.
His attorney claimed that cutting and stripping wires and cables released such high levels of asbestos that he had to use a shovel to gather and dispose of the toxic dust at the end of the workday.
Chicago Mesothelioma Attorney Information
If you or a loved one has mesothelioma, talk to one of the Illinois asbestos cancer attorneys below:
Lane & Lane
230 W. Monroe St. Suite 1900
Chicago IL 60606
(312) 736-0403
www.lane-lane.com
If you or your loved one was exposed to asbestos in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Talk to an attorney at Lane & Lane. Their attorneys have experience in asbestos and mesothelioma litigation and can help you get as much mesothelioma settlement payouts & compensation as possible from the companies that caused your exposure.
Agruss Law Firm
4809 N. Ravenswood Ave, Suite 419
Chicago, IL 60640
(888) 572-0176
www.agrusslawfirm.com
Agruss Law Firm has a team of experienced mesothelioma attorneys who will handle your case personally from start to finish. They have an established record of getting excellent settlements for patients who have been affected by a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Duncan Law Group
161 N. Clark, Suite 2550A
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 445-0567
www.duncanlawgroup.com
The legal team at Duncan Law Group is experienced in helping people who have been hurt by asbestos and have a mesothelioma or asbestosis diagnosis. They can help you get maximum compensation for your medical costs, pain and suffering, and lost wages.
See All Illinois Mesothelioma Asbestos Lawyer Lawsuit Help
Get Chicago Mesothelioma Legal Help
With over $30 billion available for victims through the Asbestos Trust Funds, you could be entitled to financial compensations without ever filing a lawsuit. Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer victims qualify immediately. Complete the form or call us toll-free (800) 352-0871.