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 boilermakers 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 | IBB Local |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | asbestosmissouri.com | 5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120) | 3 years | Local 27 St. Louis · Local 83 Kansas City |
| Illinois | illinoismesothelioma.com | 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202) | 2 years | Local 1 Chicago · Local 60 Morton · Local 363 Belleville |
| Indiana | indianamesothelioma.com | 2 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4) | 2 years | Local 374 Dale |
| Iowa | iowamesothelioma.com | 2 years (Iowa Code § 614.1) | 2 years | (regional lodge — see directory) |
| Kansas | mesotheliomakansas.com | 2 years (K.S.A. § 60-513) | 2 years | Local 83 Kansas City metro |
| Kentucky | kentuckymesothelioma.com | 1 year (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140) | 1 year | (regional lodge — see directory) |
| Michigan | michiganmesothelioma.com | 3 years (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805) | 3 years | Local 169 Allen Park (Detroit) |
| Ohio | ohioasbestosexposure.com | 2 years (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10) | 2 years | Local 744 Cleveland · Local 105 Piketon |
| Wisconsin | wisconsinmesothelioma.com | 3 years (Wis. Stat. § 893.54) | 3 years | Local 107 Brookfield (Milwaukee) |
Cross-state boilermaker careers
Many boilermakers worked across state lines during their careers — following the boiler-erection and outage work. A Local 27 member from St. Louis may have worked the Wood River refinery in Illinois. A Local 1 member from Chicago may have worked the Whiting refinery in Indiana. A Local 169 member from Detroit may have worked Ohio power-plant outages. Boilermakers often traveled far for construction and turnaround jobs — potentially 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 boilermakers 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.