Illinois Mesothelioma Lawyer

Headquartered in Alton, Illinois, Simmons Hanly Conroy is a national mesothelioma law firm that has fought for victims of asbestos exposure for over 25 years. We have the resources and experience necessary to help mesothelioma patients and their families across the state of Illinois pursue the justice they deserve.

Our mesothelioma lawyers have recovered more than $9.9 billion on behalf of thousands of clients affected by mesothelioma, including over $1.4 billion for families in Illinois alone. Call (800) 326-8900 now to see if our Illinois mesothelioma lawyers can help your family.

Our Illinois Office

1 Court St.
Alton, IL 62002
(618) 693-3104

Our Award-Winning Experience

2024 Best Law Firms Ranked by Best Lawyers Badge

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Legally Reviewed and Fact Checked by:

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Last updated: April 01, 2025

Working with Mesothelioma Clients Across Illinois

When you or a family member is diagnosed with mesothelioma, everything changes. While no amount of compensation can fix the pain caused by this cancer, our mesothelioma law firm can file a lawsuit on your behalf to help lessen financial burdens and allow you to focus on your health and loved ones.

Our Illinois mesothelioma lawyers will handle every step of the legal process on your behalf. We only get paid if your case results in compensation, and contacting us is free. We’ll even travel to meet you whenever and wherever is convenient for you.

Over the past 25 years, we have represented many clients throughout all of Illinois, including families in:

Chicago
Alton
Aurora
Arlington Heights
Belleville
Beloit
Champaign
Chicago Heights
Decatur
Hanover Park
Joliet
Lyons
Naperville
Peoria
Plano
Rockford
Springfield
Urbana
Wheeling
Wilmington

Recent Mesothelioma Verdicts in Illinois

At Simmons Hanly Conroy, we’re dedicated to fighting for the results our clients deserve. In doing so, our firm has secured many notable mesothelioma verdicts nationwide, including for families in Illinois.

Mesothelioma Talc Verdict

$24.4 Million

In July 2024, an Illinois jury awarded $24.4 million to a janitor at an Avon facility and his family. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma decades after working around the company’s asbestos-contaminated talc.

Our Past Illinois Mesothelioma Settlements

Our Illinois asbestos attorneys have recovered over $1.4 billion to help Illinois families affected by mesothelioma pay for medical bills and hold those who harmed them accountable.

A few of our mesothelioma settlement and verdict amounts recovered for our Illinois clients are listed below.

$12.4 Million

Laborer
St. Charles, IL

$34.1 Million

Roofer
Wood River, IL

An electrician in a yellow hard hat works on wires

$6.7 Million

Union Electrician
Evergreen Park, IL

See More Settlements

$5.5 million for a pottery manufacturer in Robinson with mesothelioma
$5.3 million for a U.S. Navy veteran and boiler tender in Des Plaines
$4 million to the family of a woman exposed to asbestos through home remodeling in Illinois
$1.1 million for the family of a laborer diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma
$2.9 million to the spouse of an Illinois factory worker
$4 million for a bricklayer with pleural mesothelioma
$1.6 million to a 63-year-old insulator who died of mesothelioma
$3.7 million for a truck driver with pleural mesothelioma
Over $1 million to an Illinois man diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma who worked as a pipefitter
$1.3 million to a food industry worker with mesothelioma
$4.9 million for a union auto worker in Congerville
$3.2 million for a laborer in Illinois
$6.2 million for a woman who was exposed to asbestos secondhand from her husband’s job
$1.4 million to a 48-year-old mechanic diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma
$2.3 million to the family of an Illinois sheet metal worker who died of mesothelioma
$3.4 million to an Illinois salesman who died of mesothelioma
$2.8 million for the family of an Illinois heavy equipment operator with mesothelioma
$5.2 million for a teacher in Glen Carbon
$1.3 million to an Illinois steel worker who died from lung cancer
$3.8 million to an Illinois laborer with peritoneal mesothelioma
$3.5 million for an auto mechanic who was diagnosed with mesothelioma
$3.1 million for a United Mine Workers of America Member from Illinois
$4 million to an Illinois electrician with mesothelioma
$4.4 million for the family of a woman who died from secondhand asbestos exposure
$3.4 million to an Illinois U.S. Navy veteran who served on the USS General Hershey
$3.8 million to the family of a factory worker with peritoneal mesothelioma
$1.6 million for a 79-year-old retail salesperson
$5.1 million a U.S. Air Force veteran and mechanic in Mascoutah
$1.3 million for an Illinois construction worker who died of mesothelioma
$4 million to a 70-year-old union laborer diagnosed with mesothelioma
$1.8 million to the family of an Illinois U.S. Army veteran
$3 million for a millworker in Illinois
$4.9 million to a woman in Western Springs who was a victim of secondhand asbestos exposure
$1.5 million for a bricklayer diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma
$3.8 million to a sheet metal worker in Illinois with pleural mesothelioma
$1.5 million for the family of a 69-year-old laborer diagnosed with mesothelioma

Our firm represents people harmed by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers on an individual basis, so the results above are reflective of each individual’s mesothelioma story. Results will vary by case depending on the individual’s exposure, age, diagnosis and several other factors.

See More Settlements

See What Our Clients Say

Every mesothelioma lawyer at Simmons Hanly Conroy is committed to standing for our clients and giving them a powerful voice in our country’s legal system. But you don’t have to take our word for it — see what some of our past clients have to say about their experience working with us below.

Photo of LaTanyta, whose husband passed away from mesothelioma

“Filing a lawsuit put us in a better position to fight mesothelioma.”

– LaTanyta

Photo of John Stahl, wearing a black baseball hat and gray sweatshirt

“My kids are going to be taken care of, so there's peace of mind knowing I won't have to worry about them.”

– John

Jill, daughter of mesothelioma warrior Bruce

“Simmons Hanly Conroy fought for us and beside us during the darkest time in our lives. They brought hope to my dad.”

– Jill, Daughter of Bruce

Julie, a mesothelioma survivor, holds her young daughter as they smile together for a photo

“The firm was incredibly helpful and supportive, far above and beyond my expectations.”

– Julie

Hear from Our Clients

Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit in Illinois

Our Illinois mesothelioma lawyers are prepared to help you understand the lawsuit process and guide you through the legal system. We have more than 60 mesothelioma attorneys at our firm who focus solely on helping people like you.

Each senior attorney operates within a small team of several experienced attorneys, legal staff members and registered nurses, which ensures you’ll receive personalized attention while your case progresses.

Your legal team can pursue mesothelioma compensation in several ways:

Asbestos Trust Fund Claims: Over $30 billion is estimated to still be available in asbestos trust funds for mesothelioma victims and their families — and you don’t have to step foot in court to get it.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits: Filing a lawsuit can secure significant compensation from the companies responsible for your asbestos exposure and illness.
Veterans Benefits: Veterans make up 33% of all mesothelioma cases because asbestos was used across all branches of the military. VA benefits can offer victims health care and monthly compensation.

Together, your team can handle every step of the legal process on your behalf, from collecting evidence for your case to filing your claim in time.

Deadlines to Taking Legal Action

Illinois has a unique set of laws called statutes of limitation that restrict how long mesothelioma patients and their family members have to file a mesothelioma lawsuit. This makes it particularly important to contact mesothelioma attorneys in Illinois as soon as possible after your diagnosis.

Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma in Illinois

Our knowledgeable Illinois mesothelioma attorneys have helped many past clients identify where they were exposed to asbestos, a dangerous mineral that can cause asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.

Quick Facts About Asbestos

Over 3,000 household and industrial products contained asbestos, including roofing shingles, talcum powder, automobile brakes, insulation, boilers and more
Asbestos is a natural mineral that is durable and resistant to heat and electricity
Multiple industries, including manufacturing, steel working, shipbuilding and more, used asbestos
Inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma to develop 10-50 years after initial exposure

More than 1 million U.S. workers were exposed to asbestos during the 20th century, and many face serious health risks to this day.

Over the past two decades, we’ve gathered evidence on thousands of Illinois job sites where asbestos was used. It’s possible we’ve already represented someone who worked at the same spot as you.

Let us put our experience to work for your family. Call (800) 326-8900 now to get started for free.

Asbestos Sites in Illinois

Over the years, a number of building and work sites in Illinois have been tied to asbestos exposure. The following is a partial list of some of those sites that have been linked. Please note this is not a complete list, and it does not necessarily reflect current conditions.

Alton
Alton Box Board Plant/Jefferson Smurfit
Laclede Steel Plant
Olin
Owens-Illinois Plant
Chicago
Armour Manufacturing Plant
B&O Railroad
BorgWarner Inc.
Calumet Shipyard
Campbell’s Soup Plant
Carnegie Steel
Commonwealth Edison
Container Paper Mill
Continental Can Plant
Crawford Station Power Plant
E J Brach & Sons
General Electric Appliance Plant
General Motors Plant
Great Lakes Naval Training Center
Inland Steel Mill
International Truck & Engine Corp.
Mobil Oil Refinery
Montgomery Ward Building
Procter & Gamble Plant
Pure Oil Refinery
Republic Steel Mill
Reynolds Metals Plant
Sears, Roebuck Tower
Thomas A. Edison Nuclear Power Plant
U.S. Steel Mill
Ward Bakery

Cicero
Western Electric Hawthorne Works
Decatur
A.E. Staley
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)
Baldwin Power Plant
Mueller Foundry
Staley Corn Products Corn Refining Plant
Downers Grove
Albert Zollinger, Inc.
Georgetown
Chicago Molded Plastics (Republic Plastics)
Granite City
Granite City Steel
Joliet
Amoco Chemical
Commonwealth Edison
General Motors
Joliet Arsenal
Joliet Powerhouse
Mobil Oil Refinery
PetroChemical Plant
Standard Oil
U.S. Steel Mill

Marion
Lake Of Egypt Powerhouse (REA Powerhouse)
Marion Powerhouse
Southern Illinois Power Co-Op
Peoria
Caterpillar Manufacturing Plant
Duck Creek Power Plant
Peoria Power Plant
Powerton Powerhouse
Sauget
Monsanto Chemical
Springfield
Allis-Chalmers Assembly Plant
Edison Powerhouse
Lakeside Powerhouse
Springfield Powerhouse
State of Illinois Power Plant
Wood River
Shell Oil

Show More Sites

These are not the only Illinois companies that used asbestos.

If you believe your occupational asbestos exposure may have caused a mesothelioma diagnosis for you or someone you love, contact a mesothelioma attorney in Illinois today for a free legal consultation.

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Meet Our Award-Winning Mesothelioma Attorneys in Illinois

When you work with the Illinois mesothelioma attorneys at Simmons Hanly Conroy, you get the personal support of a local legal team with the resources and reach of a national law firm. Meet a few of our firm’s top Illinois mesothelioma lawyers below.

Get to Know Illinois Super Lawyer & Firm Partner John Barnerd

Read More About “Best Lawyer in America” Michael Angelides

Meet Chicago Lawyer Magazine’s “Women in Law” Amy Garrett

Learn About Head of the Asbestos Department Perry Browder

Our Mesothelioma Clients in Illinois

Every person diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease has a unique story. Here at Simmons Hanly Conroy, we believe there is power in sharing those stories. Our lawyers have helped many people over the decades secure mesothelioma compensation. We are honored to have been able to make a significant difference in their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

As you learn about our clients’ stories, please understand that recovery results vary. No two stories and no two cases are exactly alike. Each mesothelioma case reflects the unique parts of each person’s story.

George’s Story

George Dreith grew up in Alton, IL, where his family members were exposed to asbestos at their workplaces. Unbeknownst to them, microscopic asbestos fibers clung to the clothing they wore home, putting George at risk during his early years.

George was also directly exposed to asbestos during his career, and he was eventually diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. Following his diagnosis, George dedicated his time to caring for his loved ones and raising awareness about the hazards of asbestos exposure.

While undergoing treatment, George participated in the Alton Miles for Meso fundraiser hosted by Simmons Hanly Conroy. He also worked with our mesothelioma lawyers to hold the asbestos companies responsible for his illness accountable.

Read George's Story

Forrest’s Story

Forrest Wulf, a Wood River native, worked in construction for three decades. In his mid-50s, Forrest began to experience breathing troubles and ultimately received a devastating diagnosis: pleural mesothelioma, the result of years of asbestos exposure in his career.

Forrest’s illness forced him to retire early. Our Illinois mesothelioma attorneys were able to secure a settlement on his behalf, so he could afford medical treatments and spend his remaining time with family.

“I wouldn’t have a thing if it wasn’t for my ability to hold the companies who harmed me accountable in court,” Forrest said.

Forrest fought mesothelioma for over seven years, driven by his love for family — especially his grandson Gunnar. He sadly lost his battle at the age of 63.

Read Forrest's Story

Jessica’s Story

In 2015, 32-year-old Jessica’s intense stomach pain was waved off by doctors as a panic attack. She sought another opinion, and eventually, it was revealed that Jessica had peritoneal mesothelioma.

With limited knowledge about her condition, Jessica sought out mesothelioma specialists who could provide her with more information. She found hope in Dr. Hedy Lee Kindler at the University of Chicago, who proposed she undergo hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

Following the 12-hour HIPEC surgery, Jessica beat the odds and reached “No Evidence of Disease” status. A year later, she achieved her dream of becoming a mother and gave birth to her first son.

In 2019, Jessica welcomed her second son. To this day, she continues to defy her initial prognosis.

Giving Back to the Local Illinois Community

At Simmons Hanly Conroy, we don’t just talk the talk — we walk the walk. We passionately stand up for clients in the courtroom and in local Illinois communities by giving back to a variety of different cancer research and mesothelioma support organizations.

Simmons Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University

Simmons Hanly Conroy pledged $10.2 million to fund the cancer institute at Southern Illinois University (SIU), which focuses on enhancing current cancer treatment options and searching for a cure.

“The firm has been at the forefront in fighting for justice for cancer victims. We will continue to show that commitment with our hearts and with our pocketbook,” said firm founder and Chairman John Simmons.

Miles for Meso

Miles for Meso is a 5K race to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure and bring together a community of those affected by asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma. Simmons Hanly Conroy hosted the first Miles for Meso race in 2009 at the firm’s headquarters in Alton, IL.

“Miles for Meso means hope. It means hope that, at some point, all the fundraising and all the awareness is going to result in effective treatments of the disease and hopefully someday a cure,” said Joyce Larson, wife of a mesothelioma victim and Simmons Hanly Conroy client.

Today, Simmons Hanly Conroy is the national presenting sponsor of Miles for Meso, which has taken place in 11 different states, including Illinois. Miles for Meso has raised over $890,000 and counting for mesothelioma research and awareness.

Two people wearing light blue shirts that read "volunteer" look at a computer

Illinois Community Service

Beyond donating funds, Simmons Hanly Conroy is committed to being a good corporate citizen, sponsoring local events and programs in our communities.

Since 2004, the firm has donated more than 10,000 volunteer hours to nonprofits and other organizations focused on helping those in need.

Providing Pro Bono Legal Services

Both individually and on behalf of the firm, Simmons Hanly Conroy attorneys volunteer their legal services free of charge with a number of organizations, serving:

U.S. military veterans
Children and foster children
Homeless people
Domestic abuse victims
Immigrants
Those seeking a second chance through expungement

“Our attorneys and staff have donated countless pro bono hours dedicated to ensuring people from every walk of life have access to equitable justice,” said mesothelioma attorney Amy Garrett.

Illinois Mesothelioma Legal Questions

What is an asbestos exposure or mesothelioma lawsuit?

A mesothelioma lawsuit is a type of legal action taken against companies that made or used products containing asbestos.

Since many companies knowingly hid the dangers of asbestos from their employees and consumers, victims may be able to hold asbestos companies accountable and pursue compensation for injuries they suffered as a result of the company’s products.

Who can file a mesothelioma legal claim?

You may be able to file a mesothelioma legal claim if:

You were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease
You’re the family member or estate representative of someone with mesothelioma

Even if your loved one has passed away from mesothelioma, you may still be able to pursue compensation on their behalf.

Call (800) 326-8900 now to learn if you may be eligible to file a claim with the help of a mesothelioma lawyer in Illinois. It costs nothing to speak with us.

How long do I have to file a mesothelioma claim in Illinois?

You have only a short window of time after your mesothelioma diagnosis to file an asbestos claim due to statutes of limitations, which are state-specific deadlines on when you can file a lawsuit.

Once these deadlines pass, it’s too late to take legal action for your illness.

Because of this, it’s important to contact us as soon as possible. Our team can listen to what’s going on and let you know if you still have time to take legal action.

How much does an Illinois mesothelioma attorney cost?

At Simmons Hanly Conroy, there are no initial or out-of-pocket costs to work with an Illinois asbestos attorney.

We work on a contingency basis, which means we only get paid if we successfully recover compensation for you.

Reach out to our team now to see if you qualify for compensation — for free.

Will I have to travel to file a mesothelioma claim?

Our Illinois asbestos lawyers will come to you, wherever you may be and whenever it’s convenient for you. We will travel to meet with you in the comfort of your own home or in a location of your choosing.

Though we can’t guarantee you won’t ever have to travel during your case, it’s very unlikely you will need to leave the area you live in to receive compensation.

Ready to start your lawsuit and pursue financial compensation?

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Reviewed by:John Simmons

Chairman of Simmons Hanly Conroy

Fact-Checked
Legal Reviewer

John Simmons is a founder and Chairman of Simmons Hanly Conroy. After serving in the U.S. Army, he went on to earn his Doctor of Law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law. He has helped recover some of the biggest verdicts and settlements in asbestos litigation history and is rated as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers.

View Sources

American Cancer Society. “Mesothelioma.” Retrieved on April 1, 2025, from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/malignant-mesothelioma.html