Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States by population, and this growth was only made possible thanks to significant construction and industrial growth since the city’s beginnings in 1833.
For more than 100 years, however, Chicago’s buildings were often built with asbestos-containing materials until asbestos was ultimately banned in the 1970s for the illnesses and diseases it can cause.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma, talk to a Chicago mesothelioma attorney who will help you pursue legal compensation for your injuries.
Why Is Asbestos Dangerous?
When asbestos is used in industrial and similar commercial applications, the asbestos-containing materials may eventually be disturbed in such a way that the microscopic asbestos fibers are released into the air. When this occurs, the fibers can be breathed in before being ultimately trapped in the lungs for decades. Some studies even suggest that asbestos fibers in the lungs may never leave the body.
These fibers can accumulate as the years progress, leading to a deadly form of cancer that can take decades to diagnose. While the disease progresses slowly, the cancer progresses rapidly once asbestos fibers gestate into a mesothelioma diagnosis. Sadly, this form of cancer is often fatal.
Asbestos exposure can also lead to fatal asbestos-related lung cancer as well as a chronic lung disease known as asbestosis. Asbestos can be found in many older buildings in the Chicago area, including older homes, buildings and workplaces. Workers in so-called blue collar occupational industries are at much higher risk of asbestos exposure, especially if they worked during a period when asbestos-containing materials were commonly used.
Chicago Asbestos Exposure
Chicago’s Cook County is the second-most populous county in the United States, so it is perhaps unsurprising that Cook County has suffered far more asbestos-related deaths than any other county. From 1999 to 2013, over 3,000 Cook County residents lost their lives because of an asbestos-related disease.
What may be a surprise, however, is that Cook County (along with Madison County, also in Illinois) has become a preferred destination for victims of asbestos exposure to file a lawsuit due to friendly court decisions that ruled in favor of asbestos victims. It is worth noting that a recent Supreme Court decision made it more difficult for out-of-state asbestos victims to file a lawsuit in Cook County, this should have little bearing on asbestos victims who suffered from a wrongful asbestos exposure in Chicago.
Known jobsites that exposed Chicago residents to the harms of asbestos include, but are not limited to:
- Acme Steel Company
- Aetna Bearing Company
- American Car & Foundry Company
- American Oil Company
- Carnegie Illinois Steel
- Chicago and Alton Railway Company
- Northwestern University
- Johnson & Johnson
- Peck & Hill
- Resurrection Hospital
- Stratford Hotel
- Studebaker Plant
- University of Chicago
If you or a loved one was exposed to asbestos at these or any other Chicago job site, talk to a Chicago mesothelioma attorney today.
Talk to a Chicago Mesothelioma Lawyer
The Ledger Law Firm represents victims of wrongful asbestos exposure and their loved ones in Chicago. Our team helps victims pursue and receive the legal compensation to which they are entitled by providing their asbestos-related illness was caused by a responsible party who exposed the victim to the dangers of asbestos.
Contact us online today for a legal consultation to discuss your mesothelioma lawsuit or asbestos-related illness to receive the funds you and your loved ones need to heal and receive justice.
