Indianapolis Mesothelioma Lawyer

Were you or a loved one diagnosed with mesothelioma in Indianapolis?

At Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers, we help injured clients in Indianapolis pursue full recovery in mesothelioma matters.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma after working in or around Indianapolis, an attorney can help you determine which companies are responsible and what compensation may be available to you. Indianapolis was a center of auto manufacturing, aerospace production, and heavy industry throughout the 20th century, and many of those facilities relied on asbestos-containing materials for decades. Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers handles mesothelioma cases on a contingency basis, meaning no fees are owed unless we recover money for you. Schedule a free consultation with an Indianapolis, IN mesothelioma lawyer today.

Mesothelioma Lawyer Indianapolis, IN

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, the thin lining that surrounds the lungs, abdomen, and heart. Asbestos exposure is the primary cause. The disease develops slowly, often taking 20 to 50 years after the initial exposure to produce symptoms. By the time a patient receives a diagnosis, the cancer has usually reached an advanced stage. The National Cancer Institute classifies mesothelioma as a rare cancer with limited treatment options when detected late. The CDC reports that 2,669 new cases were diagnosed across the United States in 2022. Marion County, where Indianapolis is located, recorded 482 asbestos-related deaths between 1999 and 2017, the second-highest total of any county in Indiana.

A mesothelioma lawyer in Indianapolis works with patients and their families to build claims against the companies that manufactured and distributed asbestos products. These cases often involve multiple defendants, complex exposure histories spanning decades, and claims against both active companies and asbestos bankruptcy trust funds.

Types of Mesothelioma Cases We Handle in Indianapolis

Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers pursues mesothelioma claims for patients and families across Indianapolis and central Indiana. The city’s industrial footprint left a wide trail of asbestos contamination through automotive plants, chemical facilities, power stations, and military installations. These are the case types we handle.

• Asbestos. Indianapolis workers encountered asbestos in insulation, gaskets, brake pads, and building materials at dozens of industrial facilities. We trace each client’s exposure to specific products and companies to establish liability.

• Occupational exposure claims. Mechanics, pipefitters, boilermakers, electricians, and maintenance workers across Indianapolis’s auto and manufacturing sectors faced sustained contact with asbestos on the job. These claims link daily work duties to the asbestos products responsible for the disease.

• Wrongful death. Indiana allows surviving family members to file wrongful death actions within two years of a loved one’s death from mesothelioma. These claims seek recovery for funeral costs, lost household income, and loss of companionship.

• Secondary exposure claims. Spouses and children of industrial workers developed mesothelioma after handling asbestos-contaminated work clothing or living in homes where fibers were carried in. These claims hold the same manufacturers and employers accountable for the original contamination.

• Product liability claims. When a specific asbestos-containing product can be identified as the source of exposure, the manufacturer bears liability. Brake pads, pipe insulation, furnace cement, and joint compound are among the most frequently implicated products.

• Veterans’ asbestos claims. Fort Benjamin Harrison and the Naval Ordnance Plant in Indianapolis exposed military personnel to asbestos during operations that ran for decades. Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma may pursue both VA benefits and civil claims against responsible manufacturers.

• Construction and renovation exposure. Workers who built, renovated, or demolished older Indianapolis buildings disturbed asbestos in floor tiles, ceiling materials, pipe wrap, and spray-on fireproofing. Many of these projects predated modern safety standards.

• Trust fund claims. Dozens of bankrupt asbestos companies established trust funds to pay future claims. We identify applicable trusts and file on each client’s behalf.

Why Choose Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers as My Mesothelioma Lawyer in Indianapolis, IN?

Experience Built Over a Century of Combined Practice

Charles P. Ward earned his law degree from Indiana University in 1989 after graduating cum laude from Butler University. He clerked for Justice Richard M. Givan on the Indiana Supreme Court and has practiced plaintiff-side personal injury law ever since. He has been named to Super Lawyers annually since 2005.

Charles P. Ward and Donald W. Ward are both AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, signifying the highest level of professional ability and ethical standards as evaluated by their peers. Donald Ward has been practicing for 72 years. He served as President of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, sat on the Indiana Judicial Nominating and Qualifications Commission, and received the Indiana Bar Foundation Legendary Lawyer Award in 2015. Charles is listed among the Best Lawyers in America and holds a designation from the Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association as a Top 25 Trial Lawyer.

That combination of credentials and courtroom preparation is what you want from a personal injury lawyer in Indianapolis, IN.

Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers has helped clients recover millions of dollars across personal injury and asbestos litigation. Every mesothelioma case is handled on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we win.

What Is Important to Understand About a Mesothelioma Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Mesothelioma Cases

Mesothelioma patients and their families can pursue several categories of damages. The amounts depend on the severity of the illness, the number of identifiable defendants, and the strength of the exposure evidence.

• Medical costs. Treatment for mesothelioma involves surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. Hospital stays, specialist visits, and palliative care can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

• Lost earnings. Most patients cannot continue working after diagnosis. Claims include past wages and the income a patient would have earned over their remaining career.

• Pain and suffering. Indiana law allows recovery for physical pain, emotional anguish, and the loss of enjoyment caused by the disease.

• Wrongful death compensation. If the patient dies, surviving family members can recover funeral costs, financial support the deceased would have provided, and damages for their loss.

Liability centers on the companies that mined, manufactured, sold, or installed products containing asbestos. Indiana’s modified comparative fault standard allows a plaintiff to recover as long as their share of responsibility does not exceed the defendant’s. In mesothelioma cases, the plaintiff’s fault is rarely at issue because the exposure was imposed by employers and product manufacturers, not chosen by the worker.

What Are Important Aspects of a Mesothelioma Case?

Mesothelioma litigation is unlike most personal injury work. The decades-long gap between exposure and diagnosis, the number of potential defendants, and the medical complexity of the disease all set it apart.

• Reconstructing exposure history. An attorney must identify every jobsite, employer, and product that contributed to the client’s asbestos contact. Pay records, union documentation, co-worker depositions, and company records all factor in.

• Medical evidence. Pathology reports, imaging studies, and physician testimony must establish that the cancer was caused by asbestos. Doctors may also need to differentiate mesothelioma from other asbestos diseases.

• Multiple defendant identification. Most mesothelioma patients were exposed to asbestos from several sources over many years. Each manufacturer, supplier, and employer that contributed to the exposure may be named in the claim.

• Statute of limitations. Indiana law requires mesothelioma patients to file a personal injury lawsuit within two years of diagnosis under Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4. The clock begins when the patient learns of the diagnosis, not when the exposure occurred.

What Is the Mesothelioma Case Timeline?

Courts often accelerate mesothelioma proceedings because of the disease’s poor prognosis. Still, every case follows a recognizable path from intake to resolution.

• Case evaluation. The attorney reviews the diagnosis, employment history, military records, and known exposure sources to determine which companies may bear liability.

• Filing and early discovery. Once the lawsuit is filed, both sides begin exchanging evidence. Interrogatories, document requests, and depositions of corporate witnesses follow.

• Plaintiff deposition. Because mesothelioma patients may not survive to trial, courts often schedule plaintiff depositions early. This preserved testimony can be used at trial if the patient becomes too ill to appear.

• Settlement negotiations. Most mesothelioma claims resolve through negotiated settlements or trust fund payments before reaching a jury. Ward & Ward prepares every case for trial regardless.

• Trial. If a fair resolution cannot be reached, the case proceeds to trial. A Marion County case that goes before a jury requires the same thorough preparation we apply from day one.

What Should You Bring to Your Mesothelioma Consultation?

Having these documents ready allows your attorney to evaluate the strength of your case quickly.

• Medical records and pathology reports confirming the mesothelioma diagnosis

• A list of employers and jobsites where you may have been exposed to asbestos

• Pay stubs, W-2 forms, or pension records documenting your work history

• Military service records, if you served at a facility where asbestos was present

• Any prior correspondence related to asbestos exposure or health screenings

Ward & Ward offers free, confidential consultations. We will review your situation and explain your options.

Known Asbestos Exposure Sites in Indianapolis

Indianapolis’s role as a hub for automotive manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and heavy industry exposed generations of workers to asbestos. The ATSDR has confirmed that even brief exposure to asbestos fibers can contribute to mesothelioma. The following facilities have documented histories of asbestos use.

• Rolls-Royce (formerly Allison Engine Company), where a $600 million renovation completed in 2021 required removing 2 million pounds of asbestos

• Allison Division of General Motors

• Chrysler Indianapolis Foundry, which operated from 1946 to 2005

• Ford Motor Company Indianapolis operations

• Fort Benjamin Harrison Army Base

• Naval Ordnance Plant Indianapolis

• Indianapolis Power and Light (now AES Indiana)

• Eli Lilly and Company

• Citizens Gas and Coke Utility

• Reilly Tar and Chemical Company

Workers at these sites handled asbestos in engine insulation, boiler linings, pipe wrap, gaskets, brake components, and building materials. According to CDC data, mesothelioma remains a significant concern across Indiana, with the state recording one of the higher death rates in the country at approximately 8.6 per million residents annually.

If you worked at any of these Indianapolis facilities, or if a family member did, you may still have grounds for a legal claim. Indiana’s discovery rule starts the filing deadline at the point of diagnosis, not the date of exposure.

Reach Out to Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation

Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers represents mesothelioma patients and families across Indianapolis and throughout Indiana. Every case is handled on a contingency fee basis with no upfront costs. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with an Indianapolis mesothelioma attorney.