How To Find and Choose a Mesothelioma Lawyer in Colorado

Choose a Colorado mesothelioma lawyer with a record of success taking on large corporations. They can file a claim with an asbestos trust fund, negotiate a fair settlement or represent you in court to secure compensation from responsible parties. Your Colorado asbestos attorney can manage all aspects of the legal process for you.

Colorado reported 33 new cases of mesothelioma in 2022, the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On average, more than 40 Coloradans receive a diagnosis for asbestos-related illnesses every year in the state. In 2023, nearly 4,000 people in the U.S. filed lawsuits for asbestos-related injuries with the help of a lawyer.

National mesothelioma lawyers have extensive experience and resources. For example, Simmons Hanly Conroy has recovered more than $265 million for families in Colorado over the years. Weitz & Luxenberg represented more than 100 mesothelioma patients and families in 2024. These firms have expert asbestos attorneys licensed in Colorado and can represent clients throughout the state.

Weitz and Luxenberg
  • $8.5 Billion Recovered
  • Serves Clients Nationwide
  • Rated #1 by U.S. News & World Report for 2022
Simmons Hanly Conroy Logo
  • $8.9 Billion Recovered
  • Serves Clients Nationwide
  • Rated a Tier 1 Law Firm in 2022 by U.S. News & World Report

Compensation From Asbestos Filings in Colorado

Colorado survivors and their loved ones have secured millions of dollars in mesothelioma compensation through asbestos lawsuits. Cases have helped workers exposed to asbestos in construction, military service, industrial settings and families exposed through secondhand exposure cover medical bills and lost wages.


Courts in the state have held asbestos manufacturers accountable for failing to protect workers. In the historic Colorado case Fenton v. Fibreboard in 1993, a plumber died from mesothelioma after working on the U.S. Air Force Academy construction in the 1950s. His family won $190,000 at trial. 

When manufacturers appealed, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the verdict and ruled that companies are liable when they sell dangerous asbestos products without proper warnings. This landmark precedent helps mesothelioma survivors in Colorado and across the country today hold manufacturers responsible for their exposure.

Colorado residents also receive compensation from asbestos trust funds, which are established when asbestos companies facing litigation declare bankruptcy. Major companies with Colorado connections, including Johns-Manville Corporation (based in Denver) and W.R. Grace (whose contaminated ore was used extensively statewide), created trusts worth billions of dollars to handle asbestos claims.

How Does an Asbestos Lawyer Handle Your Claim in Colorado?

A Colorado mesothelioma lawyer can help you prepare your claim and build a legal case. Your lawyer can determine if it’s best to file your mesothelioma claim in Colorado or another state, depending on where your exposure happened or where the liable businesses are based.

Steps to a Mesothelioma Claim

  1. Interview: First, an asbestos lawyer needs to speak with you in person. The attorney will visit you at home or in the hospital to learn more about your case. You can also ask questions and learn about your options.
  2. Evaluation: Because Colorado has such strict requirements for medical evidence, mesothelioma lawyers have to make sure it’s possible to prove your asbestos exposure and connect it to the companies responsible.
  3. Preparation: Once your attorney is convinced you have a strong enough case, the law firm starts gathering the evidence needed to file your mesothelioma claim, such as medical records and employment records.
  4. Filing: Your attorney keeps track of all filing dates, submitting your claim and required supporting documents on time.
  5. Discovery: Next, both sides have the opportunity to request copies of evidence. For example, your attorney may demand to see employee lists so the law firm can interview witnesses.
  6. Settlement or trial: Most cases in Colorado end in settlements your attorney negotiates for you. If a settlement isn’t reached, your lawyer will represent you in court.

Hiring a lawyer helps you pursue fair compensation. A good mesothelioma attorney takes the weight off your shoulders, provides expert advice and goes out of their way to make you comfortable.

Asbestos Exposure in Colorado

Asbestos was widely used at Colorado industrial job sites until the 1980s. Power plants, factories and refineries were some of the state’s top asbestos exposure risks. Some veterans were exposed to asbestos at military bases in Aurora, Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Carson.

Sites in Colorado Known for Asbestos Exposure

  • Caribou Mine: Colorado’s mining industry put workers and nearby residents at risk of inhaling asbestos. The Caribou Mine and Monarch deposit in Boulder had asbestos contamination.
  • Drive Train Industries: Asbestos products were used in locomotives and train cars, such as brake linings and gaskets.
  • Estes Power Plant: Asbestos was used during the facility’s construction.
  • Hensel Phelps & Poole Construction Companies: Asbestos was used extensively in the construction industry, such as fire-resistant asbestos concrete and roofing products.
  • Nixon Power Plant: Many power plants used asbestos coatings and building materials. Asbestos insulation covered machinery, pipes and equipment.
  • Panorama Middle School: It was closed for a semester in 2023 after asbestos was found during a renovation project. Legacy asbestos in schools is a national issue.
  • Western Minerals Company Plant: The company processed vermiculite ore containing asbestos.

In addition to natural asbestos deposits, several sites in Colorado rest on top of landfills that contain asbestos. In 2021, the Denver Department of Parks & Recreation responded to an exposure threat when sledders tore up turf in Ruby Hill Park. Authorities believe the damage exposed asbestos in an old landfill.

The Johns-Manville Corporation Site in Denver

The Johns-Manville Corporation focused on asbestos mining, distribution and manufacturing operations. Its products included insulation, roofing tiles and fireproof textiles, all containing asbestos. Eventually, Denver’s plant became the company’s headquarters.

By the 1920s, there was evidence that asbestos fibers were toxic, but JM downplayed the dangers. In court, the company blamed employees for their injuries.

The company kept producing asbestos products until the 1970s, despite knowing about their harmful health effects from countless workers’ compensation disputes. By 1985, JM had faced nearly 20,000 asbestos lawsuits, so it chose to declare bankruptcy.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Colorado

Colorado workers faced many occupational asbestos hazards. Some laborers directly handled asbestos when making products such as roofing compounds. Industrial machinery often used asbestos for its heat-resistance properties, exposing maintenance and repair workers.

Higher-Risk Jobs in Colorado

  • Automotive workers
  • Construction workers
  • Factory workers
  • Miners
  • Plant laborers
  • Power plant maintenance workers
  • Railroad laborers
  • Teachers

Pleural mesothelioma survivor Hatsie H., a teacher who lived in Colorado for more than 40 years, was shocked when she received her diagnosis. After successful surgeries she told us, “I’m not 100% anymore, but there is never a dull moment around here. I’ve scaled back, but I haven’t stopped.”

Continued Learning

Asbestos Manufacturers

How Your Lawyer Supports You in Colorado’s Changing Asbestos Litigation

Colorado is a neutral state for asbestos trials. Courts are often willing to side with mesothelioma patients, but state laws can be confusing and burdensome for families. An attorney can make the process easier, managing filing dates and Colorado legal challenges for you.

Colorado Legislative Changes

  • CRS 13-80-102: Colorado laws give you 2 years to file a claim for asbestos-related injuries. The time starts from the date of your diagnosis.
  • Miller Vs. Armstrong (1991): This Colorado Supreme Court judgment explained the state’s statute of limitations doesn’t prevent mesothelioma patients from filing a new claim if they develop another asbestos-related illness later. This also applies if nonmalignant pleural plaques turn into mesothelioma years later. 
  • SB17-053: The Asbestos Litigation Trust Transparency Act of 2017 requires people who file for asbestos-related claims to provide strong proof of medical injuries. Patients also have to disclose all asbestos trust fund claims they’ve made in Colorado and other states.

Some companies try to use bill SB17-053 to delay court cases in Colorado or pressure patients into accepting a lower settlement. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can make an enormous difference, gathering all the necessary trust fund documentation for you before filing the claim. National law firms have decades of experience with trust funds and a large library of evidence from other mesothelioma cases.

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