Kentucky Mesothelioma & Asbestos Lawyer
Legally Reviewed By: Darron E. Berquist
Managing Attorney | Mesothelioma & Asbestos
- Page Last Updated:
- April 3, 2025
Legally Reviewed By: Darron Berquist
Managing Attorney | Mesothelioma & Asbestos
- Page Last Updated:
- April 3, 2025
Why Choose the Lanier Law Firm To Handle Your Kentucky Mesothelioma Claim?
Meet Our Kentucky Mesothelioma Attorneys
Companies That Exposed Workers to Asbestos in Kentucky
Occupations at Risk of Asbestos Exposure in Kentucky
Options for Asbestos and Mesothelioma Compensation in Kentucky
Asbestos Laws and Regulations in Kentucky
Kentucky workers have experienced heavy occupational asbestos exposure in coal mines, factories, distilleries, and other industries throughout the state. Though asbestos products are no longer widely used, Kentuckians are still vulnerable to asbestos contained in decades-old buildings, structures, and machinery.
In 2020 alone, there were 31 mesothelioma diagnoses and 30 deaths from the disease in Kentucky. Hundreds of other victims are diagnosed with other asbestos-related diseases every year in the Bluegrass State.
The companies that mined and manufactured asbestos products may be liable if you or your loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Our Kentucky mesothelioma lawyers can help you identify the parties responsible for your diagnosis and pursue substantial compensation on your behalf.
Why Choose the Lanier Law Firm To Handle Your Kentucky Mesothelioma Claim?
Our award-winning asbestos lawyers have been standing up to wealthy corporations for more than 30 years, and we have won over $20 billion in settlements and verdicts, including the following:
- $7 million for a worker who contracted mesothelioma
- $3.7 million for a Navy veteran with mesothelioma
- $2.25 million for the family of a deceased papermill worker
- $1.88 million for a laborer with mesothelioma
- $1.6 million for the family of a deceased industrial worker
When you choose to work with us, you will receive personalized service from compassionate, caring attorneys who will fight as hard as possible to maximize your compensation. Asbestos defendants know who we are, and most will settle to avoid facing us in court. However, we refuse to accept less than the full measure of your damages. We prepare every case for trial and will be ready to present your case to a jury if that is what it takes to win the compensation you deserve.
Meet Our Kentucky Mesothelioma Attorneys
Mark Lanier
Mark Lanier is our founder and one of the nation’s leading mesothelioma lawyers. He has won billions on behalf of asbestos exposure victims, including landmark verdicts against some of the largest corporations in the world. The New York Times has called him “one of the top civil trial lawyers in America.”
Sam Taylor
Sam Taylor is a successful asbestos lawyer with over 30 years of experience representing clients with mesothelioma in state and federal courts nationwide. He has won hundreds of millions in compensation and has earned the AV Preeminent Rating for legal skill and ethics.
Kevin LaMarca
Kevin LaMarca is a nationally recognized asbestos attorney who has won tens of millions in compensation for asbestos exposure victims throughout the United States.
Client Testimonials
Every mesothelioma case we handle is personal to us. With a proven track record of success nationwide, our dedicated team has the experience and resources to fight for you after a mesothelioma diagnosis. But don’t just take our word for it—hear from our clients.
Companies That Exposed Kentucky Workers to Asbestos
Below are some of the companies known to have exposed Kentucky workers to asbestos:
Western Kentucky
- Acme Mills
- B.F. Goodrich
- Big Rivers Electric
- City of Paducah – Lighting Plant
- Green River Steel Company
- Henry A. Petter Supply Co.
- Owens Corning Fiberglas Corp.
- Owensboro Municipal Utilities
- Reynolds Metals Co
- Shawnee Fossil Plant
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Union Carbide
- Westvaco Corp.
Central Kentucky
- Corning Glass Works
- Dow Corning
- General Tire and Rubber Company
- IBM
- Illinois Central Railroad Company
- Kentucky Utilities Co.
- Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp.
- Proctor & Gamble
- University of Kentucky
Jefferson County/Louisville
- Aetna Oil Co. American Air Filter
- Brown & Williamson
- C & O Railroad
- Carbide & Carbon Chemical
- Cardinal Insulation Corp.
- Combustion Engineering, Inc.
- DuPont
- Fischer Packing
- Ford Motor Co
- General Electric
- General Insulation & Roofing Co.
- George Wiedemann Brewing Company
- Girdler Corporation
- Henry Vogt Machine Company
- J. Gordon English Company
- K. Taylor Distilling Company
- Kosmos Portland Cement
- Louisville Gas & Electric Co
- Philip Morris Incorporated
- Henry Vogt Machine Company
- W.R. Grace & Company
Eastern Kentucky
- Allied Chemical Corp.
- Appalachian Regional Hospital
- Armco Oil Refinery
- Armco Steel
- Ashland Oil
- Bethlehem Mines Corporation
- Big Sandy Powerhouse
- Blue Diamond Coal Company
- Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co
- CSX
- East Kentucky Power Cooperative
- East Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative
- General Refractories
- Hooker Chemical Corporation
- Kentland Coal
- Kentucky Electric Steel
- Kentucky Power Company
- North Jellico Coal Company
- Southeast Coal Company
- U.S. Steel Corporation
Other
- A. C&S
- Air Reduction Company
- American Rolling Mill Co.
- American Tobacco Co.
- Bernheim Distilling Co.
- Dayton Power & Light Company
- Gulf Oil Corporation
- Spencer Chemical
- Western Kraft
National Southwire Aluminum Company
The National Southwire Aluminum Co. facility on the Ohio River was added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund National Priorities List in 1994 after the agency found the groundwater and soil nearby were contaminated with metals like aluminum and copper. In addition, asbestos-containing materials were extensively used for decades at the site.
Though cleanup operations concluded in 2011, the facility is still operating today, and the site is periodically monitored to ensure it remains safe.
W.R. Grace Plant
From the 1920s through 1990, W.R. Grace owned the largest vermiculite mine in the world, located in Libby, Montana. Today, we know that Libby vermiculite was contaminated with asbestos. W.R. Grace shipped it to processing plants throughout the nation, including the vermiculite processing site in Wilder, Kentucky, south of Newport. From 1952 to 1992, the site received 220,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite.
Workers at the site also intentionally added asbestos to some products until 1970. The site employed 16 people at a time, and approximately 9,000 people lived within a mile of it. The Kentucky Department of Health tested the site in 1971 and found a high concentration of airborne asbestos in the area where it was used.
Learn More About
Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit
- Are you eligible?
- What is the average settlement?
- How long will it take?
Why Should You Trust the Lanier Law Firm to Handle your Mesothelioma Case?
Occupations at Risk of Asbestos Exposure in Kentucky
Kentucky workers in many industries saw high asbestos exposure rates in the mid-20th century. Occupations associated with asbestos exposure in Kentucky include:
Oil refineries used asbestos to insulate components from high temperatures involved in the production process. Workers at Marathon Refinery Kentucky, Somerset Refinery, and others could have been exposed to asbestos while working on gaskets, boilers, insulation, and similar equipment.
Facilities like the Louisville Chemical Plant and Alcoa Aluminum used crocidolite, which is considered the most lethal type of asbestos. Workers exposed to asbestos-containing materials in these plants are at a high risk of developing mesothelioma or similar diseases.
Heat-generating equipment like turbines and generators often included asbestos to help insulate against high temperatures. Those who worked on such equipment at facilities like the Paradise Power Plant in western Kentucky faced a high risk of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos was widely used on military bases for its fireproofing properties—both in structures and equipment. Veterans and staff who served at Fort Knox or Fort Campbell may have inhaled asbestos fibers regardless of whether they directly worked with asbestos-containing materials.
Teachers, staff, and students in aging school buildings like Ballard Elementary and Carroll County High School can be at risk of exposure to asbestos-containing materials from when they were commonly used in construction. Asbestos has been found in many buildings on Murray State University’s campus, and Eastern Kentucky University has also had asbestos issues.
Options for Asbestos and Mesothelioma Compensation
Depending on the party responsible for your exposure, you might be eligible for mesothelioma compensation through several different paths. You might be eligible to file a mesothelioma lawsuit, one or more asbestos trust fund claims, a workers’ compensation claim, or a claim for VA benefits if you were exposed to asbestos during military service.
You generally cannot sue your employer if you are covered by workers’ compensation. However, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against companies that manufactured or supplied asbestos to which you were exposed.
Our knowledgeable mesothelioma attorneys in Kentucky can advise you of your options and pursue compensation for you through the most beneficial avenues.
Asbestos Laws and Regulations in Kentucky
Kentucky has adopted the EPA’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, or NESHAP, which are enforced throughout the state by the Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet. NESHAP regulates the handling of asbestos during renovations and demolitions.
State safety rules for asbestos removal include sealing off the area, using HEPA filtration, displaying warning signs, wetting the asbestos, and testing the air quality every 15 minutes.
Contractors must notify the Division of Air Quality in writing at least ten business days before completing demolitions and renovations. They must perform inspections, remove asbestos if found, and dispose of it at appropriate sites approved by the Kentucky Division of Waste Management.
Kentucky workplaces must limit workers’ asbestos exposure to 0.1 fibers per cubic center over an eight-hour time-weighted average and up to 1 fiber per cubic centimeter for up to 30 minutes. However, there is no safe level of asbestos.
The Kentucky Statute of Limitations for Mesothelioma
Kentucky’s statute of limitations for mesothelioma lawsuits is just one year from the diagnosis date. If your loved one has died of mesothelioma, you have one year from when the court appoints an estate representative to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Most trust fund claims impose deadlines that mirror the statute of limitations for lawsuits.
If you file after the deadline, the court will dismiss your lawsuit, and you will lose the chance to recover your well-deserved compensation. Investigating asbestos exposure and preparing a claim requires significant time, so contact a reputable attorney as soon as possible after your diagnosis.
If you are eligible for workers’ compensation, you have three years from the date of your diagnosis to file your claim. However, you cannot file a workers’ compensation claim if 20 or more years have passed since your most recent occupational exposure. There is no deadline to file a VA claim.
Contact The Lanier Law Firm
Our dedicated asbestos attorneys in Kentucky have seen firsthand how devastating mesothelioma can be to you and your family. We are dedicated to recovering the highest compensation available for your claim. We charge no upfront fees for our services, and you only pay us if we win. Contact us today to schedule a free case review with an experienced Kentucky mesothelioma lawyer.
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