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Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Texas

Texas has one of the largest documented vermiculite processing operations in the country, in Dallas, and a deadline rule written specifically for asbestos cases. This page covers both, plus the state's cancer centers and VA health systems.

Last reviewed October 28, 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this page.

In short

  • Documented sources: The Texas Vermiculite plant in Dallas.
  • Deadlines: personal injury 2 years (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a)); wrongful death 2 years (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(b)).
  • Care: 4 NCI-designated centers in the state, and 8 VA health care systems.
  • Confirm every deadline with a lawyer licensed in the state.

Documented asbestos exposure in Texas

We list only sites where asbestos is documented by a government agency or published research. Many other workplaces in Texas likely used asbestos-containing insulation and equipment, but we do not name a site unless we can point to a record.

The Texas Vermiculite plant in Dallas

Vermiculite mined at Libby, Montana, was contaminated with asbestos. The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) studied 28 sites around the country that processed it. In Dallas, the Texas Vermiculite Company, later W.R. Grace, processed Libby vermiculite from about 1953 to 1992 with an estimated 16 to 42 employees at a time. W.R. Grace invoices show roughly 397,000 tons shipped there, one of the higher totals in ATSDR's study. ATSDR prepared a separate report on this site.

Texas filing deadlines

Claim Deadline Statute
Personal injury 2 years Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a)
Wrongful death 2 years Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(b)

Texas allows two years for personal injury and two years for wrongful death (CPRC 16.003). For asbestos-related injury, CPRC 16.0031 sets when those two years begin: the earlier of the exposed person's death or the date the claimant serves a defendant with the medical report Texas law requires for asbestos cases. Because that rule ties the clock to a court filing step, talk with a lawyer about the timing early.

Also note: Asbestos claims accrue on the earlier of death or service of a qualifying medical report (16.0031).

Deadlines and discovery rules change and depend on the facts. Confirm them with a lawyer licensed in Texas. Compare other states in our national table.

Treatment in Texas

NCI lists 4 designated cancer centers in Texas that see patients:

Center (NCI profile) Institution and location, as NCI lists it NCI designation
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas Comprehensive
Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Texas Comprehensive
Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, Texas Clinical
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Texas Comprehensive

VA health care in Texas

Veterans with asbestos-related illness can get care through VA. These VA health care systems serve Texas; each system's page lists its medical centers and clinics:

For benefits, see veterans and VA benefits or our veteran claim help form.

Workers' compensation

Work-related illness may fall under Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation. Each state's system has its own notice and filing deadlines. NCI notes that federal civilian employees and longshore and harbor workers have separate federal programs through the U.S. Department of Labor.

Other states

California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington. See all states.

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Common questions

What is the medical report Texas requires?

Texas has a separate chapter of law with medical requirements for asbestos and silica cases, and the deadline rule in 16.0031 refers to it. A lawyer handles this report with your doctors.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and deadlines differ by state and change; confirm anything that matters with a licensed attorney in your state. No one can promise how a claim will turn out.

Sources

  1. Summary report: exposure to asbestos-containing vermiculite from Libby, Montana, at 28 processing sites in the United States (ATSDR, 2008; copy hosted by EPA)
  2. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a) (Texas official code)
  3. Find an NCI-designated cancer center (National Cancer Institute, list updated June 10, 2026)
  4. VA health care systems serving Texas (VA.gov)
  5. Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation

Related pages

  • States: State-by-state mesothelioma resources: documented asbestos exposure sites, filing deadlines, NCI-designated cancer centers, and VA health care in each state.
  • Statute of limitations: How filing deadlines for mesothelioma and asbestos claims work, when the clock starts, and a table of injury and wrongful death deadlines in every state.
  • Treatment centers: How to find a cancer center with mesothelioma experience, the full list of NCI-designated clinical and comprehensive cancer centers, and questions to ask.
  • Veterans and VA benefits: How VA disability compensation works for veterans with asbestos-related illness, the evidence VA asks for, survivor benefits, and where to get free help.