Get The Justice You Deserve
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Legally Reviewed by William Pemberton on September 30, 2026
A mesothelioma diagnosis often comes as a shock, especially when the exposure that caused it happened decades ago. Many people are told they have a rare, aggressive cancer without ever connecting it to a job site, a military assignment, or a product they used years earlier. If you or someone in your family has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may have more legal options than you realize, even if the exposure happened a long time ago.
Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm helps Wisconsin families understand their rights after an asbestos-related diagnosis. Wisconsin has a long industrial history involving paper mills, manufacturing plants, and shipyards, all places where asbestos was once used heavily. Our product liability attorneys can help you find out who is responsible and what compensation may be available to help your family move forward.
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in the thin tissue lining several organs in the body. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this lining is called the mesothelium, and mesothelioma most commonly forms in the tissue around the lungs, known as the pleura. It can also develop in the lining of the abdomen, the heart, or, less commonly, the testicles. This cancer is almost always linked to one specific cause.
Asbestos exposure is responsible for nearly every case of mesothelioma diagnosed today. The CDC explains that asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals that form long, thin, and extremely durable fibers that do not break down easily. They were once used widely in consumer products, automobile parts, and building materials before the health risks were understood.
You may have been exposed to asbestos if you:
Asbestos fibers are too small to see, so many people had no idea they were breathing them in until symptoms appeared many years later.
Mesothelioma has one of the longest latency periods of any cancer. Symptoms often do not appear until 20 to 50 years after the original asbestos exposure. This means someone who received a recent mesothelioma diagnosis could have been exposed at a Wisconsin job site in the 1970s or 1980s.
This long delay is exactly why Wisconsin law includes special protections for people diagnosed with diseases like mesothelioma.
Typically, under Wisconsin law, a personal injury claim must be filed within 3 years. However, some important exceptions and nuances can affect the applicable deadline.
For mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, Wisconsin courts recognize what is known as the discovery rule. Instead of starting the clock on the date you were exposed to asbestos, the clock generally starts when you were diagnosed, or when you reasonably should have discovered your illness and its cause. Without this rule, many families would lose their right to file before they ever knew they were sick.
Because every case is different and Wisconsin’s rules can shift depending on whether the claim involves a workplace, a product, or wrongful death, it helps to have your situation reviewed by a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after a diagnosis.
You may be able to file a claim if you were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness after being exposed in Wisconsin. Family members may also be able to file a wrongful death claim if a loved one passed away from the disease.
Common claim types include:
Many mesothelioma claims target the companies that manufactured asbestos-containing products, which means a claim may still be possible even if the job site or employer no longer exists.
Every case is different, and no outcome can be promised. That said, families pursuing an asbestos-related claim in Wisconsin may be able to seek compensation for costs connected to the illness, including the following:
A claim will not undo a diagnosis, but it may ease some of the financial pressure that comes with extended treatment and time away from work.
Wisconsin’s industrial past means asbestos exposure was common in many parts of the state, not just in one city or region. Workers in paper mills, foundries, power plants, and shipyards across the state faced regular contact with asbestos-containing materials for decades. Our firm serves clients throughout Wisconsin, including Madison, Baraboo, Eau Claire, Sun Prairie, Fitchburg, and Waunakee, and we understand how deeply this industrial history runs in communities across the state.
If your exposure happened years ago in a job that no longer exists, that does not mean your options are gone. Asbestos manufacturers and their insurers can often still be held accountable.
Mesothelioma and asbestos cases tend to be more complicated than a typical injury claim. They often involve identifying a specific product or job site from decades ago, tracking down which companies manufactured the asbestos-containing materials, and untangling overlapping deadlines among personal injury law, workers’ compensation, and product liability rules.
Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm has spent more than 80 years of combined experience helping Wisconsin families pursue the compensation they deserve after serious injuries and illnesses. Our team also brings an insurance defense background to every case, which means we understand how insurance companies and corporate defendants structure their arguments. We use that insight to build stronger claims for our clients.
A mesothelioma or asbestos diagnosis can leave you with more questions than answers, especially about what caused it and what legal options might be available now. Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm is here to help you sort through those questions with clear answers and a plan built around your specific situation.
We have earned recognition from Super Lawyers for 14 consecutive years, and our track record includes achieving a landmark jury verdict in a high-stakes personal injury case. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing upfront, and every client we represent is backed by the Pemberton Promise, our pledge to stand by you at every stage of your case. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, reach out through our contact form for a free case evaluation.
Wisconsin generally gives personal injury claimants three years to file a lawsuit. For mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses, the clock typically starts on the date of diagnosis rather than the date of exposure, because these diseases can take decades to appear. This is known as the discovery rule. Because deadlines can vary based on the type of claim, speaking with an attorney as soon as possible after a diagnosis helps protect your right to file.
You may be able to file a personal injury claim if you were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness and can trace your exposure to a product, worksite, or employer in Wisconsin. Surviving family members may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim if a loved one passed away from the disease. An attorney can review the facts of your situation and identify which claims may apply.
In many cases, yes. Many mesothelioma lawsuits target the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products rather than the employer where exposure occurred. Even if a company has closed or gone through bankruptcy, asbestos trust funds set up during those proceedings may still provide compensation to eligible claimants. An attorney familiar with Wisconsin asbestos cases can help identify which funds and defendants may apply to your situation.
Families pursuing asbestos-related claims in Wisconsin may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and, in wrongful death cases, funeral costs and loss of companionship. Because every case is different, the specific amounts available will depend on the facts of your exposure and financial losses. No outcome can be guaranteed, but an attorney can give you a realistic picture of what your claim may involve.
Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing upfront and owe no fees unless we recover compensation for you. We bring more than 80 years of combined experience handling serious injury cases across Wisconsin, and our background in insurance defense gives us insight into how corporate defendants and their insurers approach these claims. Every client is backed by the Pemberton Promise, our commitment to stand by you at every step of your case.
ABOUT THE ATTORNEY
William Pemberton
Personal Injury Attorney, Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm
William Pemberton is the founding attorney of Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm, representing injured Wisconsinites across Madison, Eau Claire, Baraboo, Fitchburg, and Sun Prairie. He handles car accidents, motorcycle accidents, dog bites, brain injuries, and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis.
Schedule a Free ConsultationWith four offices across the state, we're never far from where you need us.
Insurance companies profit when you lose. Every claim they deny, every settlement they lowball, every injured person they convince to accept less—that’s money in their pocket. And they’re very good at what they do.
At Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm, we’ve made it our mission to take on the insurance companies that put profits over people. We know every underhanded tactic they’ll use to cheat you out of fair compensation, and we’re prepared to fight fire with fire. When insurance adjusters see us coming, they know they’re in for a real battle. You didn’t ask to be injured.
You didn’t ask to fight a billion-dollar corporation. But now that you’re here, you deserve lawyers who will go to war for you. We don’t settle for less than full compensation, we don’t back down from tough fights, and we don’t let insurance companies bully our clients. PERIOD.
Life following a serious injury can bring intense emotions and pain. Accident victims often hope to get their lives back on track, only to be held back by the demands involved with personal injury claims. This is especially the case for individuals who become hospitalized. Wherever you are in the process, we’d be glad to help.
Our injury lawyers in Wisconsin step up to represent you. At Pemberton, we provide this advocacy at every step in the injury claims process so you can be on your way to feeling like yourself again.
Contact our Wisconsin personal injury attorneys at (608) 448-6242 to speak with one of our experienced attorneys. We will create a plan together to help you protect your rights and get you back to your life.
$40M+ Won For Our Clients
The client’s loved one suffered a fatal injury in an auto collision that resulted in over $382,000 in medical bills. Acting as the family’s second attorney, we navigated difficult policy-limit issues and secured a $1,000,000 settlement. While the case had greater overall value and the family would have liked a higher recovery, they chose to settle to avoid prolonged litigation and move forward.
The client sustained severe injuries to both knees, including a broken femur requiring rod placement, torn ligaments, and damage necessitating knee replacement surgery on one or both knees. After multiple surgeries and ongoing complications that significantly impacted his ability to function, we negotiated a settlement $275,000 higher than the insurance company’s initial offer. Despite the complexity of the family relationship involved, we secured fair compensation for the client’s extensive medical treatment and permanent disabilities while respecting his wishes to resolve the matter without litigation.
In this wrongful death case, the client’s loved one was tragically killed while crossing the street as a pedestrian when struck by an inattentive driver. The collision caused fatal injuries, including massive brain hemorrhage and associated fractures.
Medical bills totaled approximately $89,000, and we pursued justice on behalf of the family. While we could have accepted the policy limits earlier, the family wanted to ensure accountability. Through extensive negotiations, we secured $600,000, including $100,000 the at-fault party paid out of pocket above policy limits to settle the case and provide the family with meaningful closure.
The client was involved in a motorcycle crash and suffered a brain bleed, TBI, facial fractures, broken ribs, and internal organ injuries. After initially hiring our firm, the client left for a cheaper attorney who mishandled the case. Months later, the client returned to us, and we secured the full $500,000 policy limits and reduced medical liens by $20,950.
The client was injured in a motorcycle crash, suffering a head bleed, facial fractures, broken sinuses requiring surgery, spleen removal, multiple broken ribs, and fractures to the shoulder, spine, pelvis, femur, ankle, and hip. Despite limited insurance coverage, we secured the $250,000 settlement and reduced over $1 million in medical liens down to just $30, ensuring the client kept nearly the entire settlement.
The client was rear-ended in a car versus motorcycle crash, sustaining twisted bones in the spine, nerve damage in the neck and back, a concussion, hip pain, numbness in the feet, facial cuts, and anxiety. After initial treatment was interrupted by a two-year gap due to insurance issues, proving the crash caused the injuries became complicated. The client had previously tried negotiating with the insurer alone, resulting in medical bills sent to collections and a lowball offer. We secured a $180,000 settlement—more than twice the pre-retainer offer—and negotiated nearly $22,000 in medical cost reductions.
“If you ever need an attorney, he would be the first one I recommend”
“Focus on healing and we will take care of everything on the legal side”
“If you ever need an attorney, he would be the first one I recommend”
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