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 sheet metal 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 | SMART Local |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | asbestosmissouri.com | 5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120) | 3 years | Local 36 St. Louis · Local 2 Kansas City |
| Illinois | illinoismesothelioma.com | 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202) | 2 years | Local 73 Chicago · Local 1 Peoria |
| Indiana | indianamesothelioma.com | 2 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4) | 2 years | Local 20 Indianapolis |
| Iowa | iowamesothelioma.com | 2 years (Iowa Code § 614.1) | 2 years | Local 45 Des Moines · Local 263 Cedar Rapids |
| Kansas | mesotheliomakansas.com | 2 years (K.S.A. § 60-513) | 2 years | Local 29 Wichita · Local 165 KC metro |
| Kentucky | kentuckymesothelioma.com | 1 year (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140) | 1 year | Local 110 Louisville |
| Michigan | michiganmesothelioma.com | 3 years (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805) | 3 years | Local 80 Detroit · Local 7 Lansing |
| Ohio | ohioasbestosexposure.com | 2 years (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10) | 2 years | Local 24 (Southern Ohio) |
| Wisconsin | wisconsinmesothelioma.com | 3 years (Wis. Stat. § 893.54) | 3 years | Local 18 Milwaukee · Local 565 Madison |
Cross-state sheet-metal careers
Many sheet metal workers worked across state lines during their careers. A Local 36 member from St. Louis may have run duct at the Wood River refinery in Illinois. A Local 73 member from Chicago may have worked jobs in Indiana. A Local 80 member from Detroit may have worked the Ohio jobs. A Local 110 member from Louisville may have worked sites in Kentucky, Ohio, 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 sheet metal 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.