Call Us :216-575-0777
Call Us :216-575-0777
Mesothelioma almost never comes out of nowhere. It comes from asbestos, usually breathed in decades earlier at a job site, a refinery, or a shipyard. The hard part is not knowing you were exposed. The hard part is proving where it happened and who is responsible for it.
Kelley Ferraro, LLC has represented mesothelioma victims nationwide since 1997, working with local counsel in states like Delaware. Our attorneys have recovered more than $1 billion for clients nationwide, including a $10.6 million verdict for one mesothelioma victim’s family. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.
We start by finding the plant, refinery, or vessel behind your exposure.
Share where you worked and what you were diagnosed with, and we’ll tell you plainly what your case looks like.
| $1B+ Recovered Nationwide | 40,000+ Clients Represented | Nearly 30 Years of Asbestos Cases | Million Dollar Advocates Forum |
Call US 216-575-0777
For most of the last century, Delaware ran on chemicals, oil, and steel. DuPont operated a nylon plant in Seaford starting in 1939 and a pigment plant in Newport that later became an EPA Superfund cleanup site, and both relied on asbestos insulation for pipes, boilers, and machinery. Oil refineries near Delaware City and shipyards along the Wilmington waterfront used it the same way.
If you or a family member worked in any of these industries, or lived with someone who did, you may have breathed in asbestos fibers without ever knowing it.
We handle Delaware asbestos claims involving exposure from:
Wherever your exposure happened, we work to trace it back to the company that caused it.
Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, accounts for most of the cases we see. Peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the abdomen, is rarer but often traces back to the same job sites and products. Both develop the same way: asbestos fibers lodge in the body and cause damage that only becomes visible decades later.
A mesothelioma diagnosis brings real costs. Treatment often means surgery, chemotherapy, and ongoing care. Most people also miss significant income from work. A Delaware asbestos claim can seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In a wrongful death claim, it can also cover funeral costs and what the family has lost.
Delaware gives you two years to file a personal injury claim, but that clock does not start on the day you were exposed. Under Delaware law, this clock usually starts on the date you’re diagnosed. But Delaware courts look at the full picture, including what you knew, when you saw a doctor, and how clear that diagnosis was, to decide the exact starting point. This rule comes from Delaware court decisions interpreting the statute (10 Del. C. § 8119), not from the statute’s own wording.
Lawmakers built in that rule for a reason. Mesothelioma can take 20 to 50 years to appear after exposure, long after most people have moved on from the job that caused it.
Two years still moves quickly once treatment and appointments fill your calendar. Starting your claim early gives us time to build it properly, without adding pressure to a season that already has enough of it.
This reflects Delaware law as of September 2026.
Kelley Ferraro has represented asbestos and mesothelioma clients for nearly 30 years, recovering more than $1 billion for over 40,000 clients nationwide.
Our trial work includes a $10.6 million verdict in Jennings v. Honeywell International for the widow of a mechanic who developed mesothelioma from asbestos in vehicle brakes, along with mesothelioma verdicts of $20 million, $17 million, and $8.2 million in other cases.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case, but they reflect how our firm approaches asbestos litigation.
Firm co-founder James L. Ferraro has practiced law for more than 40 years and wrote “Blindsided”, an account of one of his landmark trials against a chemical manufacturer.
| Outcome | Case Type |
| $10.6M | Mesothelioma Verdict, Jennings v. Honeywell (Ohio) |
| $20M | Mesothelioma Verdict |
| $17M | Mesothelioma Verdict |
| $8.2M | Mesothelioma Verdict |
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.
Delaware handles asbestos cases differently than most states. The Superior Court of the State of Delaware, based at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington, runs a dedicated asbestos docket with judges assigned specifically to these cases. That courthouse has managed asbestos litigation involving DuPont, shipbuilders, and refinery operators for decades.
Because we represent clients nationwide, we regularly work alongside local counsel and Delaware-based attorneys when a case calls for it.
That combination gives a Delaware mesothelioma lawsuit both national trial experience and familiarity with how New Castle County’s asbestos docket moves.
The military relied heavily on asbestos for decades, in ship insulation, aircraft parts, and building construction. Air Force mechanics working on aircraft brakes, engine heat shields, and wiring insulation faced regular exposure nationwide, and Navy veterans faced similar exposure aboard ship.
If you served and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be able to pursue a claim against the manufacturers of the asbestos products used on base or aboard ship, separate from any VA disability benefits you already receive.
Filing a claim against a private manufacturer generally does not reduce or replace VA disability compensation, since these are separate systems. Veterans can typically pursue both at the same time.
We regularly help veterans and their families trace which branch, ship, or base led to their exposure.
Roles with especially heavy exposure include:
Getting started is simpler than most people expect.
You do not need to gather every record before you call. We will help you find what the case needs.
Delaware’s statute of limitations gives you two years, but the clock starts on the date you are diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, not the date you were exposed (10 Del. C. § 8119). But Delaware courts also look at when you reasonably should have known your illness was linked to asbestos, so the exact starting point can depend on your specific situation. Because mesothelioma can take decades to appear, most people still have time to act after a diagnosis. Contact us as soon as you can so we have time to investigate your exposure history properly.
Many of the companies responsible for asbestos exposure have filed for bankruptcy and set up trust funds to pay claims. We pursue both trust fund claims and lawsuits against companies still operating, often at the same time, to help you seek the compensation the law may allow.
Not necessarily. We handle the investigation, filing, and much of the legal work remotely, and we work with local counsel in New Castle County when court appearances are needed. We will tell you upfront what, if anything, requires you to be there in person.
Yes. Delaware allows a wrongful death claim when asbestos exposure caused or contributed to a loved one’s death. A spouse, child, or personal representative of the estate can typically bring this claim, and it follows its own two-year deadline running from the date of death rather than the date of diagnosis. We regularly help families pursue these claims even years after losing someone to mesothelioma.
If you have a different question, reach out and we will answer honestly before you decide anything.
A mesothelioma diagnosis changes what matters most, and legal paperwork should not be what takes up your time.
Reach out to Kelley Ferraro, LLC and we will review your work history and medical records at no cost, on a contingency basis, so there are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Share where you worked and what you were diagnosed with, and we’ll tell you honestly where your Delaware asbestos claim stands.
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