Information for Asbestos Victims from Kelley & Ferraro:

Asbestos Victims' Lawyers - Working for our Clients

Kelley & Ferraro has one of the largest groups of asbestos clients in the country with more than 30,000 pending asbestos litigation cases in Cuyahoga County, Ohio alone, with thousands more nationwide.

Oftentimes, Kelley & Ferraro files cases involving asbestos-related diseases in Ohio. In part, this is because a number of the defendant companies are or were based in the state and/or have or had large operations in Ohio given Ohio's industrial history involving manufacturing.

In addition to the lawsuits filed in Ohio, asbestos lawyers from Kelley & Ferraro also act as co-counsel with lawyers in different jurisdictions on several thousand more asbestos cases throughout the United States sometimes appearing pro hac vice in states courts outside Ohio.

Attorneys from Kelley & Ferraro work to protect the rights of asbestos clients and their families against asbestos manufacturers and distributors that have filed for bankruptcy protection.

The filing of bankruptcy, however, does not always extinguish the rights of Kelley & Ferraro's asbestos clients; for example, in many instances, legal trusts must make payments toward medical and other damages to Kelley & Ferraro clients because of asbestos exposure injuries.

The History and Consequences of Asbestos

Many clients come to Kelley & Ferraro looking for an asbestos lawyer or for legal advice about asbestos litigation. Often, they are victims of asbestos-related diseases, ranging from non-cancer asbestosis, pleural thickening and pleural plaques to lung cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, and laryngeal cancer, as well as a usually fatal condition known as mesothelioma – a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen.

For years, millions of men and women – as well as their families – have been exposed to asbestos. Many have suffered and died from asbestos-related diseases, while mounting medical bills have drained lifelong savings.

Many of those who worked with asbestos-containing products in the '40s, '50s, '60s, and even into the '70s and '80s, did not know the potential consequences of asbestos exposure. At the same time, there is evidence that many of the companies who employed those workers or who manufactured or distributed asbestos-containing products did know of the associated risks of exposure to asbestos.

This workforce of asbestos victims includes asbestos workers, boiler workers, auto workers, steelworkers, construction workers, pipefitters, welders, and shipyard workers. Even naval and merchant marine seamen are among the asbestos victims. They tended equipment and armaments or slept near asbestos-covered pipes and breathed in asbestos fibers that could cause cancer and other diseases. Additionally, because of the widespread use of asbestos, a worker in almost any occupation, even teachers, could have been exposed to asbestos.

In addition, numerous children and spouses of workers exposed to asbestos-containing products have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases – both cancer and non-cancer – from breathing in the dust from workers' clothes.

If you believe you are an asbestos victim, would like legal advice or are interested in discussing asbestos litigation with a lawyer who practices in the areas of asbestos and workplace injuries, please contact Kelley & Ferraro today.