Top Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyers assist clients with filing claims over asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma. Occupational asbestos exposure in the state's steel mills, shipyards, military bases and other common industries caused mesothelioma.
How to Find and Choose a Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Lawyer
When choosing a Pennsylvania mesothelioma attorney, looking for someone with local expertise becomes even more important given that the state ranks among the nation’s top jurisdictions for filing mesothelioma claims. Key counties include Philadelphia and Allegheny, both known for their high volume of asbestos lawsuits. These areas have courts experienced in managing complex mesothelioma cases, which can help claims move efficiently through the legal process.
Pennsylvania Jurisdiction Spotlight
Allegheny County is ranked 11th overall for asbestos lawsuits and 10th for both mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer.
In 2022, Pennsylvania had a significant incidence rate of mesothelioma, with many deaths reported in 2023, reflecting the state’s industrial asbestos exposure history.
Pennsylvania reported numerous mesothelioma cases linked to workplace exposure in steel mills, coal mines, power plants, shipyards and refineries.
Philadelphia had the fourth-highest number of all asbestos lawsuits in 2024, according to the latest KCIC report. This includes fourth place for mesothelioma lawsuits and third for asbestos lung cancer claims.
Experienced mesothelioma lawyers can assess your claim, the best place to file given the circumstances of your specific case, and the type of claim they’ll pursue on your behalf. Mesothelioma lawyer Carl Money was able to help a Pennsylvania family whose father, a lifelong pipefitter, passed away from mesothelioma. He worked in steel mills where he was exposed to asbestos. When one gasket company refused to settle, Carl and his team took the case to trial, proving the long-term asbestos exposure workers faced. The jury’s large verdict not only brought justice to the family but also led to major settlements for similar cases nationwide.
Local law firms like Meirowitz & Wasserberg, Nemeroff Law in Pittsburgh and national firms with Pennsylvania offices are known for their success in securing settlements and verdicts. These attorneys often provide free case reviews and will explain every step of your claim.
Nationwide Asbestos Law Firms Helping Clients in Pennsylvania
Top national law firms such as Weitz & Luxenberg and Simmons Hanly Conroy actively represent clients across Pennsylvania. They offer in-home consultations to review legal options and help clients pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other asbestos-related expenses.
These firms have won significant verdicts and settlements in Pennsylvania, leveraging databases of asbestos exposure sites and expert networks to build strong cases. They’re able to help you secure compensation to cover medical bills, lost income and other costs related to asbestos diseases.
Many clients have been awarded settlements exceeding $1 million or 6-figure trust fund payouts. For example, Simmons Hanly Conroy helped a Pennsylvania welder secure $7 million in a recent mesothelioma case.
Compensation From Asbestos Filings in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has seen numerous significant asbestos settlements, verdicts and asbestos trust fund payouts. Mesothelioma lawsuits and claims often result in compensation that covers medical expenses, lost income and related costs.
Successful cases in Pennsylvania have secured millions of dollars for people. This reflects the state’s high incidence of asbestos exposure from industrial sites such as steel mills, shipyards and power plants.
Notable Pennsylvania Settlements, Verdicts or Trust Fund Payouts
$25 Million: A Philadelphia jury awarded this amount in 2022 to asbestosis patient and Navy veteran Richard Daciw and his wife. John Crane, which manufactured asbestos packing, was the only defendant left when the case went to trial.
$10 Million: A Philadelphia jury awarded this amount to a mesothelioma patient in 2010 who claimed Melrath Gasket’s asbestos products caused their disease.
$7 Million: A Pennsylvania jury awarded this amount in 2008 to the estate of a man who died of mesothelioma after working with the asbestos products of several different manufacturers.
$4.8 Million: An appeals court in Pennsylvania affirmed this combined verdict in 2015 for two women who filed lawsuits because their husbands, who died of mesothelioma, were exposed to asbestos at work.
While each case varies, these amounts illustrate the potential compensation available with the help of experienced Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyers. Legal professionals in Pennsylvania remain active in pursuing maximum recovery for their clients despite changing legislation and court procedures.
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How Does an Asbestos Lawyer Handle Your Claim in Pennsylvania
Your Pennsylvania mesothelioma attorney manages your claim from start to finish and stays current on the state’s evolving asbestos litigation laws. Pennsylvania courts have recently expanded who can be held liable for asbestos exposure and mesothelioma, including allowing certain claims against employers that previously faced limitations. Your lawyer evaluates whether these recent changes apply to your specific case and identifies all companies that may be responsible for your exposure.
Steps to a Mesothelioma Claim
Initial consultation: An attorney will assess your eligibility to file in Pennsylvania. During this first free meeting, you’ll learn about your legal options and the steps involved in pursuing compensation.
Investigate exposure history: Your legal team investigates Pennsylvania asbestos exposure sites such as Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Bethlehem Steel facilities, the Ambler Superfund sites and Sun Shipbuilding & Drylock. They connect these locations to your diagnosis.
Filing your claim: Your attorney files your claim within Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations, which generally allows 2 years from diagnosis or death to submit personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits.
Discovery phase: Your attorney gathers employment records from sites like LTV Steel in Pittsburgh, USX Corporation facilities or Fisher Scientific plant. Both sides exchange evidence such as depositions and expert reports.
Settlement negotiations or trial: Most cases end in a negotiated settlement. But your lawyer will be ready to proceed to trial on your behalf if necessary.
Secure your compensation: If your case is successful, you’ll receive compensation from settlements, verdicts or asbestos trust funds to cover medical expenses, lost income and related costs.
Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of asbestos-related disease in the United States as a result of its extensive industrial history in steel mills, shipyards and coal mines. Your attorney investigates both workplace exposure and secondary exposure, as workers’ families faced risk when asbestos fibers were brought home on clothing.
Asbestos Exposure in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of asbestos-related disease in the United States. The state’s long industrial history includes extensive use of asbestos in steel mills, shipyards, coal mines, power plants and chemical factories. These workplaces exposed workers and nearby residents to toxic asbestos fibers.
Sites in Pennsylvania Known for Asbestos Exposure
Alan Wood Steel Company and Allegheny Ludlum Steel: Both facilities have had documented asbestos exposure. Steel mills and metal factories have a history of using asbestos for its heat-resistant properties.
Ambler Asbestos Piles: Asbestos plants generated toxic asbestos waste that required the EPA to intervene at the 25-acre site in Ambler. It became a Superfund site in 1986. The site was removed from the Superfund list in 1996 following cleanup efforts.
Asbestos mines: There were 4 asbestos mines in the southeastern region of Pennsylvania. U.S. Geological Survey records show 37 asbestos deposits in the state. Highly carcinogenic amphibole asbestos was found in these mines.
Bethlehem Steel Shipyard: This shipyard was a major employer in eastern Pennsylvania and extensively used asbestos in its operations.
BoRit Asbestos Site: The site in Ambler was used from the early 1900s to the late 1960s to dispose of asbestos-containing material from a nearby manufacturing plant. In 2009, the site was added to the EPA’s National Priorities List, making it eligible for cleanup using federal Superfund program funding. Remedial work was completed at the site in 2018.
Fisher Scientific: Many lawsuits related to asbestos exposure at the Pittsburgh plant have been filed.
Penna Light, Heat & Power Co., Pennsylvania Light & Power Co. and Harrisburg Light & Power Co.: All 3 companies used asbestos to insulate their power plants. Because asbestos was widely used in power plants, many workers face a high risk of exposure due to the nature of their work environment.
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard: The country’s first shipyard was involved in shipbuilding and repair for almost two centuries. Shipyards historically used large amounts of asbestos, which resists corrosion and heat.
Pittsburgh Airport: In 1997, the EPA fined Allegheny County for violating federal asbestos regulations. The EPA says the violation was related to the salvage of an old terminal building at the airport.
Rock Hill Quarry: Workers found actinolite asbestos at the site in Bucks County in December 2018 during routine testing. The state quickly shut down mining operations at the site. Mining activities were ordered to stop in December 2020. The long-term future of the site is undetermined.
Sun Shipbuilding & Drylock: It launched its first ship in 1917 during World War I. The company expanded and played a significant role in shipbuilding during World War II at the height of asbestos use.
Vermiculite Plants: There are multiple vermiculite plants in the state.
In addition to manufacturing and industrial sites, legacy asbestos in older buildings pose a risk across the state. Legacy asbestos in schools has historically been a significant issue in Pennsylvania. In September 2020, authorities charged 3 school district officials with child endangerment linked to lead and asbestos, but the charges were dropped in 2021. Asbestos also caused 11 school closings during the 2019-2020 school year.
Because of this extensive exposure, Pennsylvania was among states with the highest mesothelioma incidence rates in 2022, according to the most recent data available from the CDC. The age-adjusted rate of mesothelioma was 0.80 per 100,000 people with 142 new mesothelioma cases reported in 2022.
Marian Levin
Verified Asbestos.com Survivor
Survivor Reflection: Exposure in Pennsylvania Schools
People who worked in older schools across Pennsylvania are also at risk of asbestos exposure. Retired school teacher Marian Levin from suburban Philadelphia was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2015. “I worked in schools where there probably was asbestos, but I had no idea where,” Marian told us. “They say it can be up to 70 years after exposure before mesothelioma is diagnosed. I just wish it had been another 70 years for me.”
Ambler, Pennsylvania, is historically known as the asbestos capital of the world because of its extensive manufacturing of asbestos products from the late 1800s through the 1980s. The town hosts 2 major EPA Superfund sites that resulted from decades of asbestos waste disposal: the Ambler Asbestos Piles and the BoRit Asbestos Site.
The Ambler Asbestos Piles site comprises more than 1.5 million cubic yards of asbestos-contaminated waste spread across 3 large piles near residential and commercial areas. Asbestos waste was dumped there from the 1930s until 1974. The EPA capped and fenced the area in 1996, declaring it safe, with regular checks to ensure safety.
The nearby BoRit Asbestos Superfund Site was added to the National Priorities List in 2009 after asbestos waste from manufacturing plants contaminated the area. Cleanup involved covering asbestos materials with clean soil and converting the site into a wildlife preserve. However, residents remain cautious because studies show asbestos fibers can migrate through soil and groundwater. Ambler’s mesothelioma rate is roughly 3 times higher than the Pennsylvania average.
Expert Take
Carl Money: Common Mesothelioma Cases in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania and, Western Pennsylvania, we have an office in Pittsburgh and that’s like the capital of the steel mill industry. And so for many, many years, I represented steel mill workers, in Ohio and some in Pennsylvania. And all those cases are very similar. Every asbestos containing product known to man is in a steel mill, and so you’re going to have, with regard to Pennsylvania, you’re going to have a lot of steel mill cases, big industry cases.
Those are the cases that you generally have there if you’re talking of Philly on the East Coast, then you’re gonna have shipyard cases and big industry there, industrial facilities. I’ve handled, I mean, all kinds of different cases. I’ve power plants, all kinds of different things throughout the state.
Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Pennsylvania
Anyone who worked in construction, manufacturing, industrial fields, power generation or the U.S. armed forces was at risk of exposure. Many of Pennsylvania’s industries historically have a higher risk of developing asbestos-related diseases because of prolonged exposure. Their families were also at risk of secondary exposure.
Some of the most at-risk occupations were the widespread coal mines across the western part of the state. Asbestos parts and insulation on mining machinery exposed coal miners.
Higher-Risk Jobs in Pennsylvania
Chemical plant workers
Coal miners
Construction workers
Insulation installers
Manufacturing plant workers
Metal workers
Military personnel
Miners
Oil refinery workers
Power plant workers
Railroad workers
Shipbuilders
Teachers
Cases where defendants knowingly put workers in danger of asbestos exposure continue to arise. Pennsylvania companies that owned shipyards, metal works and railways created the danger of occupational exposure. Examples in Pittsburgh include LTV Steel and USX Corporation. Bethlehem Steel and its shipyard exposed residents of Bethlehem.
“People often believe the only way to develop mesothelioma is to work with asbestos products throughout their career. But people living in Ambler had high levels of exposure simply while walking outside. People who lived in Ambler, especially before the 1990s, should be aware of the risk of environmental exposure they had and talk to their doctor.”
Danielle DiPietro, Patient Advocate at The Mesothelioma Center
How Your Lawyer Supports You in Pennsylvania’s Changing Asbestos Litigation
Pennsylvania’s asbestos litigation environment is changing rapidly, creating challenges for people diagnosed with mesothelioma seeking compensation. Experienced lawyers are critical in helping clients navigate new rulings that expand litigation options and evolving regulations that affect deadlines, evidence requirements and liability issues. Staying current with these changes allows attorneys to craft strategies tailored to each client’s case and secure the strongest possible outcomes despite complex legal hurdles.
Pennsylvania’s Legislative Changes
Courts are revisiting “product line” successor liability rules, impacting which companies can be held responsible for asbestos exposure.
Insurance coverage disputes, such as those involving Pyrotek and its insurers, illustrate ongoing litigation complexities attorneys must manage.
New evidence and disclosure standards require attorneys to ensure claims meet strict legal thresholds.
Lawyers assess multiple jurisdictions to determine the best one for filing claims, not limiting cases to Pennsylvania courts when others offer advantages.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court allowed mesothelioma claims against employers beyond usual time limits, opening legal avenues for more workers.
Legal experts actively track these legal shifts, adapt filing strategies, guide evidence collection and manage strict procedural requirements. Their proactive support helps mesothelioma clients respond to ongoing changes in asbestos law while aiming for fair and timely compensation.
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Lahav, J. (2026, March 9). Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Lawyer. Asbestos.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma-lawyer/pennsylvania/
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William A. Davis is an attorney specializing in complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis in health care disputes, at a firm he founded in Washington, D.C. He also serves as senior counsel at The Peterson Firm.
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Danielle DiPietro , Patient Advocate at The Mesothelioma Center
