Asbestos filings in Madison County down 20 percent from previous year

Madison County asbestos filings in 2014 were down from the previous record setting year by approximately 20 percent.

In all, there were 1,300 cases filed in 2014, compared to 1,678 in 2013.

While the number of new cases over the previous year are down, Madison County's docket still has doubled in the last four years and tripled in the last seven.

Filings in 2013 were remarkable for a wave of lung cancer claims; new cases in 2014 were dominated by mesothelioma claims.

Out of state claimants continue to make up the vast majority of cases. Only 109 of the 1,300 of the year's claimants reside in Illinois, or less than 9 percent. Only 23 of the 2014 plaintiffs reside in Madison County, or 1.7 percent of the total.

Fifteen firms or attorneys filed asbestos cases in 2014, but the Simmons firm of Alton filed the most with 29 percent of the total.

More detail about the 1,300 cases:

Disease:
Mesothelioma cases: 76 percent, or 988;]
Lung cancer cases: 23 percent, or 294;
Other: 1 percent, or 18.

Firms and cases:
Simmons: 29 percent, or 379;
Gori: 19.5 percent, or 254;
Maune Raichle: 15.5 percent, or 202;
Napoli: 10.1 percent, or 132;
SWMK: 7.3 percent, or 95;
Shrader: 6.5 percent, or 85;
Flint: 5.4 percent, or 71;
O'Brien: 1.6 percent, or 21;
Richardson Patrick: 1.4 percent, or 19;
Goldenberg: 1.2 percent, or 16;
Schoen: .9 percent, or 12;
Remaining 1 percent were filed by Perica (6); Gori and Lanier (4); Bilbrey (1); and others (3) not immediately known as docket entries were unavailable at Madison County courthouse public access computers.