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 bricklayers and refractory masons 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 | BAC Local / ADC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | asbestosmissouri.com | 5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120) | 3 years | Local 1 St. Louis · Local 18 St. Louis |
| Illinois | illinoismesothelioma.com | 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202) | 2 years | Local 21 Elmhurst · Local 8 O’Fallon (ADC 1 IL) |
| Indiana | indianamesothelioma.com | 2 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4) | 2 years | (BAC ADC of Indiana/Kentucky) |
| Iowa | iowamesothelioma.com | 2 years (Iowa Code § 614.1) | 2 years | (BAC ADC — regional) |
| Kansas | mesotheliomakansas.com | 2 years (K.S.A. § 60-513) | 2 years | (BAC ADC — Kansas City metro) |
| Kentucky | kentuckymesothelioma.com | 1 year (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140) | 1 year | Local 4 Louisville |
| Michigan | michiganmesothelioma.com | 3 years (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805) | 3 years | (BAC ADC of Michigan) |
| Ohio | ohioasbestosexposure.com | 2 years (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10) | 2 years | (BAC ADC of Ohio) |
| Wisconsin | wisconsinmesothelioma.com | 3 years (Wis. Stat. § 893.54) | 3 years | BAC District Council of Wisconsin |
Cross-state refractory-mason careers
Many refractory masons worked across state lines during their careers, following the furnace-relining and coke-oven work. A Local 1 member from St. Louis may have relined furnaces at Illinois steel mills. A member from the Illinois ADC may have worked coke batteries in Indiana. Refractory masons traveled to the big steel-mill and kiln shutdowns — 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 bricklayers and refractory masons 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.