Plumbers
Union locals: UA Local 562 (St. Louis — Plumbers Local 35 merged into 562 in 1999) · Local 8 (KC)
How Plumbers Were Exposed to Asbestos
During normal duties, Plumbers were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials in Missouri industrial, commercial, and public construction work from the 1930s through the 1980s. Documented exposure pathways drawn from public litigation records and industrial hygiene literature include:
- Cutting asbestos-cement (transite) water and waste pipe
- Replacing valve packing and gaskets on domestic water lines
- Working on boiler-room piping insulated with asbestos covering
- Tying into existing systems where insulators had removed lagging
- Demolition cutting of cast-iron and AC pipe in renovation work
Why This Matters for Missouri Workers
If you worked as a plumbers in Missouri during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural disease, you may have a legal claim — even if your employer is no longer in business. Many asbestos product manufacturers have established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay qualified claimants based on documented exposure history.
Missouri Filing Deadlines — Two Separate Clocks
Missouri keeps the personal-injury clock (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120 — 5 years from diagnosis) and the wrongful-death clock (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.100 — 3 years from date of death) on separate, independent tracks. Preserving one does not extend the other. An experienced Missouri asbestos attorney can keep both options open as your situation evolves.
Talk to an Experienced Missouri Asbestos Attorney
A free, confidential consultation with O’Brien Law Firm in St. Louis can evaluate your specific exposure history and filing-deadline situation. No fee unless they recover compensation.
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