Statute of Limitations
42 Pa. C.S. § 5524 provides a 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. Pennsylvania courts apply the discovery rule for latent asbestos diseases from date of mesothelioma diagnosis. The E.D. Pennsylvania asbestos docket (MDL-875) is one of the most significant asbestos case management systems in federal court. Pennsylvania uses modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar.
2 years from diagnosis
Where to File in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania mesothelioma litigation is concentrated in Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, which runs one of the busiest asbestos dockets in the nation under a coordinated asbestos litigation program. Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) handles cases tied to western Pennsylvania's steel and manufacturing industries. Pennsylvania plaintiffs pursue claims against both solvent defendants — Honeywell, 3M, Georgia-Pacific — and bankruptcy trusts including the Fibreboard, Armstrong, and Pittsburgh Corning trusts.
Pennsylvania's statute of limitations for mesothelioma is 2 years from the date of diagnosis or the date the plaintiff reasonably discovered the asbestos connection, whichever is later. Wrongful death claims must be filed within 2 years of death. Pennsylvania applies the discovery rule, but courts generally hold that a mesothelioma diagnosis constitutes sufficient discovery of the asbestos cause.
Philadelphia's asbestos docket has historically resolved thousands of cases and established influential precedent on causation under the 'frequency, regularity, and proximity' standard adopted across many states. The Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos PI Trust — rooted in Pittsburgh Corning Corporation's Unibestos pipe insulation — is among the larger trusts and heavily utilized by Pennsylvania claimants.
Pennsylvania's asbestos exposure history is tied to the steel industry (U.S. Steel, Bethlehem Steel, Weirton Steel in the Pittsburgh–Johnstown corridor), Philadelphia Navy Yard, railroad operations (Conrail, PRR), and chemical manufacturing along the Delaware River corridor. Shipbuilding, boilermaking, and ironworking trades generated some of the state's highest mesothelioma incidence rates.
Exposure in Pennsylvania
Source: Pennsylvania Cancer Registry 2024
Source: NIOSH Pennsylvania Occupational Data
Source: RAND Asbestos Litigation Report 2024
Clinics & Specialists in Pennsylvania
Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center — Thoracic Mesothelioma Program
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital — Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
Your Legal Team
James Callahan
Senior Partner
Philadelphia, PA
James Callahan practices in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania — one of the most active asbestos federal court dockets in the country — and the New Jersey state asbestos litigation docket, which includes former shipyard workers from the Camden, Kearny, and Bayonne yards that were critical to the World War II naval buildup. With 20 years of experience and dual admission in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, James represents former shipyard workers, construction tradespeople, and industrial workers from the Delaware Valley's manufacturing heritage. He has tried over 60 mesothelioma cases to verdict, achieving seven-figure results in the majority of contested matters. James is well known for his cross-examination of defense causation experts and his ability to effectively tell the human story of asbestos victims to sympathetic Philadelphia and Camden juries.
Education
- J.D., Temple University Beasley School of Law (2006)
- B.A., History, Villanova University (2003)