There are no natural asbestos deposits in Kentucky, but the state is certainly familiar with the impact that mining can have on employees. Nevertheless, the exposure to asbestos, which results in mesothelioma cancer, occurred in industrial settings that were built in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries.
Louisville was home to at least six chemical plants including facilities operated by big corporations such as Dow, DuPont and Stauffer. These plants went up prior to the late 1970s which is when the use of asbestos products ended for most industries. Chemical plants, refineries and steel plants from that era are good examples of the fact any industrial processing involving heat usually included asbestos insulation for equipment and often, asbestos protective clothing for employees.
The Kentucky businesses known or suspected to have exposed employees to asbestos were located in the few cities of any size, for the most part. Lexington had a plant operated by Owens Corning Fiberglas, one of the companies that have paid billions in asbestos liability claims. Ashland Oil and Ashland Steel were two home-grown industries that used asbestos in their production lines. Another company with huge asbestos liability problems, W.R. Grace, operated a facility in Owensboro.
Legal Rights for Kentucky Asbestos Victims
Kentucky has a statute of limitations for personal injury cases that is unusually short. For both personal injury or liability and for wrongful death suits the statute of limitations is one year. In most states it is two years and in some states there are exceptions for asbestos cases because asbestos diseases are often latent for twenty to forty years. Even the non-cancerous disease asbestosis may not develop for a decade or more after asbestos exposure has occurred.
If you are a Kentucky resident suffering from an asbestos related disease you should speak with an asbestos attorney who knows the history of asbestos litigation in the state. There are several avenues to compensation for asbestos harms, so let one of our attorneys explain your options to you. Fill out the brief form on this page and we will be in touch immediately, to provide you with an in-depth briefing at no charge. Read more about how to to find the right Asbestos lawyer as well as recent Mesothelioma case settlements in addition to lawsuits for Mesothelioma.
