Texas Mesothelioma Lawyers
Houston-Based Attorneys Serving Texas Asbestos Victims for 40+ Years
Texas ranks among the highest states for mesothelioma cases due to decades of asbestos exposure at Gulf Coast refineries, shipyards, and petrochemical plants. Our Houston law firm has represented thousands of Texas families, recovering substantial compensation from both lawsuits and the $30+ billion available in asbestos trust funds.
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40+ Years
Texas Experience
$30B+
In Trust Funds Available
2 Years
Texas Filing Deadline
$0
Unless You Win
Executive Summary
Texas mesothelioma victims face a critical 2-year statute of limitations from diagnosis, making immediate legal consultation essential for preserving compensation rights. The state's extensive petrochemical industry, Gulf Coast shipyards, and industrial manufacturing created one of the nation's highest concentrations of occupational asbestos exposure—a 56-year follow-up study of over 10,600 Texas refinery workers found maintenance employees with a decade or more of exposure showed mesothelioma rates 7.5 times higher than expected. Over 60 active asbestos trust funds holding more than $30 billion remain available for Texas victims, with average combined recoveries ranging from $300,000 to $500,000 when claims are filed strategically across multiple trusts. Danziger & De Llano's Houston headquarters provides Texas families with both specialized expertise and local presence throughout the legal process.
Key Facts: Texas Mesothelioma Claims
- • 2-Year Statute of Limitations: Texas imposes a 2-year filing deadline from diagnosis date under the discovery rule for both personal injury and wrongful death claims.
- • 410% Higher Mortality Risk: Oil refinery workers face proportionate mortality ratios of 410—deaths occurring at 4.1 times the expected rate—with maintenance workers showing rates up to 30 times higher.
- • 90% Worker Exposure: Approximately 90% of refinery workers had direct or indirect asbestos contact, with more than half occurring without protective equipment.
- • $30+ Billion Available: Over 60 active asbestos bankruptcy trusts hold substantial assets for Texas victims, with expedited claims processing averaging 90 days and 92% approval rates.
- • $1.5-4.5 Million Settlements: Individual refinery worker settlements typically range from $1.5 to $4.5 million, with mass settlements reaching $178-187 million.
- • 5-8 Trust Funds Per Victim: Most Texas mesothelioma victims qualify for claims against multiple trusts based on exposure to products from Johns-Manville, Owens Corning, Pittsburgh Corning, and other manufacturers.
- • Veterans: 30% of Cases: Military veterans comprise 30% of U.S. mesothelioma cases, with many Texas veterans exposed at Gulf Coast shipyards and military installations.
- • $3,831/Month VA Benefits: Veterans with mesothelioma receive automatic 100% disability ratings worth $3,831.30 monthly, which can be collected simultaneously with trust fund payments and lawsuit settlements.
Why Does Texas Have Such High Mesothelioma Rates?
This section examines the industrial factors that created widespread asbestos exposure across Texas, from Gulf Coast refineries to commercial shipyards.
Texas hosts massive petrochemical complexes along the Gulf Coast, with Houston, Beaumont-Port Arthur, and Corpus Christi serving as major refining centers. The 2017 CDC analysis of malignant mesothelioma deaths ranked petroleum refining as the second highest industry among 207 occupational categories. Miles of high-temperature pipelines, distillation towers, catalytic cracking units, and virtually every component handling hot materials required thermal insulation—nearly always containing asbestos from the 1940s through 1980s.
Corporate knowledge of asbestos dangers dates to the 1930s, yet oil companies continued installing asbestos throughout refinery infrastructure for decades. By 1937, the American Petroleum Institute warned of insulation dust hazards; by 1945, Shell Oil knew asbestos caused cancer. Despite this knowledge, refineries installed asbestos-containing materials while providing inadequate warnings to workers.
"The Gulf Coast petrochemical corridor represents one of the most concentrated areas of occupational asbestos exposure in the country. Workers at facilities from Houston to New Orleans faced decades of exposure, and we're still seeing new diagnoses emerge from those years of corporate negligence."
— Rod De Llano, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano
What Industries Caused the Most Texas Exposure?
Texas asbestos exposure occurred across multiple industries, with the highest concentrations in petrochemical refineries, shipbuilding and repair facilities, power generation plants, and construction trades. American shipyards employed millions of workers during the 20th century, with peak employment during World War II and the Cold War. Asbestos was used extensively in ship construction, repair, and overhaul operations, creating one of the largest occupational exposure cohorts in U.S. history.
High-Risk Texas Occupations:
Extreme Exposure:
Insulators/Laggers, Boilermakers, Pipefitters, Refinery Maintenance Workers
Very High Exposure:
Electricians, Machinists, Welders, Sheet Metal Workers
High Exposure:
Carpenters, Painters, Laborers, Construction Workers
Moderate Exposure:
Process Operators, Control Room Personnel, Supervisors
Workers in all shipyard trades faced exposure, but those in engine rooms, boiler spaces, and insulation work faced the highest concentrations—often exceeding safe limits by 100 times or more. Insulators specifically showed standardized mortality ratios of 3,029, meaning their mesothelioma death rate was 30 times higher than the general population.
What Is Texas's Mesothelioma Filing Deadline?
This section explains the critical time limits for filing mesothelioma claims in Texas and strategies for protecting your legal rights.
Texas Statute of Limitations: 2 Years
Texas imposes a 2-year statute of limitations for mesothelioma personal injury claims, calculated from the date of diagnosis or discovery of the asbestos-related disease under the discovery rule. Wrongful death claims also carry a 2-year deadline.
The statute of limitations represents the most unforgiving aspect of mesothelioma litigation because courts have absolutely no discretion to accept late filings regardless of circumstances. Unlike other procedural requirements that might be waived, corrected, or excused, missing your filing deadline permanently extinguishes all legal rights to compensation. Even the strongest case with overwhelming evidence becomes worthless the moment the deadline passes.
"The statute of limitations is the first thing we evaluate in any mesothelioma case. We've seen too many families lose their entire claim—sometimes worth over a million dollars—simply because they waited too long to call. If you've been diagnosed, protecting your deadline is as important as starting treatment."
— Paul Danziger, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano
Texas applies the discovery rule, which starts the deadline clock when a victim receives their diagnosis or when they knew or should have known about the disease's connection to asbestos. This principle, established in Borel v. Fibreboard (1973), recognizes that mesothelioma's 20-50 year latency period would otherwise eliminate all claims before patients even knew they were sick.
What Compensation Can Texas Mesothelioma Victims Receive?
This section examines the multiple compensation pathways available to Texas mesothelioma victims, including trust funds, lawsuits, and veteran benefits.
Texas mesothelioma victims can pursue compensation through multiple channels simultaneously. Individual lawsuit settlements for refinery workers typically range from $1.5 to $4.5 million, while mass settlements involving groups of affected workers have reached $178-187 million. Major oil companies including ExxonMobil and equipment manufacturers remain viable defendants in ongoing litigation.
How Do Asbestos Trust Funds Work for Texas Victims?
Over 60 active asbestos bankruptcy trusts currently hold more than $30 billion in assets designated to compensate mesothelioma victims. These trusts were established when asbestos manufacturers faced bankruptcy from overwhelming litigation, creating streamlined compensation systems that operate parallel to traditional lawsuits. Average mesothelioma claimants recover between $300,000 and $500,000 when filing strategically across multiple trusts, with exceptional cases recovering over $1 million.
Major Trust Funds Available to Texas Victims:
NARCO Trust: 100% payment rate, average mesothelioma payment $238,000
Pittsburgh Corning Trust: 19% payment rate, $3.41 billion initial funding
W.R. Grace Trust: 30.1% payment rate, $1.5-1.84 billion current assets
Owens Corning/Fibreboard: 4.7% payment rate, $4.9 billion combined funding
Johns-Manville Trust: 5.1% payment rate, over 850,000 claims processed since 1988
Texas refinery workers typically qualify for claims against multiple trusts based on the variety of products they encountered—insulation from Johns-Manville and Owens Corning, gaskets from Garlock and Flexitallic, and other asbestos materials from dozens of manufacturers. Expedited trust fund claims typically process within 90 days—far faster than traditional litigation—with approval rates exceeding 92% when filed with proper documentation.
What About Texas Veterans?
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma represent 30% of all U.S. cases, with Navy personnel experiencing the highest exposure rates due to widespread asbestos use aboard ships from the 1930s through 1980s. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides automatic 100% disability ratings worth $3,831.30 monthly for single veterans in 2025.
Critically, federal regulation 38 CFR § 17.106 explicitly prohibits reducing VA disability compensation based on settlements or trust fund payments. This means Texas veterans can receive VA benefits, trust fund payments, AND civil lawsuit settlements simultaneously without any offset—combined recoveries can exceed $2.4 million.
"Many veterans don't realize that VA disability claims and civil lawsuits have completely independent deadlines. Filing for VA benefits does not toll, extend, or otherwise affect the statute of limitations for lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers. We've seen too many veterans lose valuable civil claims by assuming their VA filing protected all their rights. Veterans can and should pursue both simultaneously."
— Rod De Llano, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano
Where Did Texas Asbestos Exposure Occur?
This section documents the major industrial facilities where Texas workers encountered asbestos, including refineries, shipyards, and manufacturing plants.
Gulf Coast Petrochemical Facilities
The concentration of petroleum refining along the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast created the nation's highest regional mesothelioma rates. Louisiana processes approximately one-fifth of total U.S. refining capacity, while Texas hosts massive petrochemical complexes along the Gulf Coast with Houston, Beaumont-Port Arthur, and Corpus Christi serving as major refining centers.
Houston Area
Houston Ship Channel refineries, ExxonMobil Baytown complex, Shell Deer Park, LyondellBasell Houston, and numerous petrochemical facilities
Beaumont-Port Arthur
Motiva Port Arthur (largest U.S. refinery), ExxonMobil Beaumont, Valero Port Arthur, and Golden Triangle petrochemical corridor
Corpus Christi
CITGO refinery, Flint Hills Resources, Valero refineries, and coastal petrochemical operations
Texas City
Marathon Galveston Bay, Valero Texas City, and industrial chemical manufacturing facilities
Texas Shipyards and Maritime Facilities
Asbestos was used in virtually every shipboard system: pipe covering, boiler lagging, turbine wrapping, bulkhead panels, deck underlayment, valve packing, and structural adhesives. Documented shipyard facilities numbered 25+ with peak combined employment of over 1.5 million workers during World War II. Texas facilities included:
- Todd Shipyards Houston: Major ship repair and construction facility serving Gulf Coast commercial and military vessels
- Galveston Shipyards: Historical shipbuilding and repair operations dating to early 20th century
- Orange Shipbuilding: World War II emergency shipbuilding program facility
- Brownsville Ship Repair: Gulf of Mexico vessel maintenance and overhaul
Many Texas shipyard workers also traveled to the nearby Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana—one of the largest commercial shipyards in the United States—creating additional exposure pathways for Gulf Coast residents.
Why Choose a Houston-Based Mesothelioma Law Firm?
This section explains why Danziger & De Llano's Houston headquarters provides unique advantages for Texas mesothelioma victims.
Local Knowledge
Our attorneys have represented workers from virtually every major Texas industrial facility for over 40 years. We maintain detailed documentation of exposure conditions at Houston Ship Channel refineries, Beaumont-Port Arthur petrochemical plants, and Gulf Coast shipyards—knowledge that directly strengthens your claim.
Personal Attention
When you work with a Houston firm, you can meet your attorneys in person. We can visit you at your home or hospital if travel is difficult. Your case isn't just a file number—it's a relationship with people who understand Texas communities and the industries that defined them.
National Resources
While we're Houston-based, we handle cases nationwide and maintain relationships with co-counsel in every state. This means we can file your case in the most favorable jurisdiction—Texas courts, Madison County Illinois, or wherever strategic venue selection maximizes your recovery.
Proven Track Record
Mesothelioma and asbestos litigation is our focus—not one practice area among dozens. We maintain exposure databases, work with leading medical experts, and have handled cases involving refineries, shipyards, power plants, and manufacturing facilities across Texas and the entire Gulf Coast region.
"In our decades representing refinery workers, we've seen consistent patterns where exposure levels far exceeded what anyone considered safe, even by the standards of the time. The combination of high-temperature processes, confined spaces, and thousands of asbestos-containing components created unavoidable daily hazards."
— Paul Danziger, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano
What Happens After You Contact Us?
This section explains what to expect when you reach out for a free case review—so you can make an informed decision about whether to take the next step.
Initial Conversation (Within 24 Hours)
An attorney or senior case manager will call to discuss your situation. This is not a sales call—it's a fact-finding conversation. We'll ask about the diagnosis, when it occurred, and what you know about potential asbestos exposure at Texas facilities. This call typically takes 15-30 minutes.
Case Evaluation
Based on our conversation, we'll assess whether we can help and what compensation sources may be available—including which of the 60+ asbestos trust funds you may qualify for. We'll be honest: not every inquiry becomes a case. If we're not the right fit, we'll try to point you toward resources that may be helpful.
If We Move Forward
If we believe we can help and you decide to hire us, we'll begin the exposure investigation—reconstructing the work history to identify every potential defendant and trust fund claim. We handle all the legal work; you focus on your health and family. We only get paid if you receive compensation.
"The first call is really about listening. We need to understand your situation before we can tell you whether we can help. There's no pressure, no obligation. If after talking with us you decide to go another direction—different firm, no attorney at all—that's completely fine. Our job in that first conversation is to give you the information you need to make the right decision for your family."
— Paul Danziger, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano
Frequently Asked Questions: Texas Mesothelioma Claims
What is the statute of limitations for mesothelioma claims in Texas?
Texas imposes a 2-year statute of limitations for mesothelioma claims, calculated from the date of diagnosis under the discovery rule. This deadline applies to both personal injury and wrongful death claims. Missing this deadline permanently eliminates all rights to compensation, regardless of how strong your case may be.
Can I file both trust fund claims and a lawsuit in Texas?
Yes. Trust fund claims and lawsuits operate on completely independent tracks. Most Texas mesothelioma victims pursue both simultaneously—trust fund payments provide faster financial relief (averaging 90 days) while litigation proceeds toward potentially larger recovery. This dual-track strategy typically maximizes total compensation.
How much does a Texas mesothelioma lawyer cost?
Mesothelioma attorneys work on contingency—there is no upfront cost, and you pay nothing unless you receive compensation. The initial case evaluation is completely free, and all investigation, filing, and legal work is handled at the firm's expense until recovery is achieved.
What if I was exposed at multiple Texas facilities?
Multiple exposure sites often strengthen your case and increase available compensation. Each facility represents potential claims against different manufacturers' products and different trust funds. Our exposure investigation process identifies all potential sources, which typically results in 5-8 qualifying trust fund claims per victim.
Can my family file a claim if I pass away before the case is resolved?
Yes. Texas allows both survival actions (continuing the deceased's personal injury claim) and wrongful death claims (filed by family members). Both carry 2-year deadlines—survival actions from diagnosis, wrongful death from date of death. Family members should seek immediate legal counsel to protect all available rights.
Ready to Explore Your Options?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma after working at a Texas refinery, shipyard, or industrial facility, we're here to help you understand what compensation may be available. The consultation is free, confidential, and comes with no obligation.
Available 24/7. No fee unless you receive compensation.
Related Resources
Find a Mesothelioma Lawyer
Search for mesothelioma attorneys in any state
Asbestos Trust Funds
Complete guide to the $30+ billion available from 60+ active trusts
Veterans Benefits
$3,831/month VA disability plus trust fund compensation for veterans
Mesothelioma FAQ
Answers to common questions about diagnosis, treatment, and legal options
Attorney Advertising. This website is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed as formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different, and compensation depends on the specific facts and circumstances of your situation. Danziger & De Llano, LLP is responsible for the content of this website. Principal office: Houston, Texas.