EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Legal Newsline) – As the end of the year approaches, there are approximately 181 asbestos cases scheduled for trial on Dec. 1 in a single Madison County, Ill., courtroom, with only one claimant residing in the local jurisdiction.

Plaintiff Evelyn Howland of Godfrey, who suffers from mesothelioma, filed her claim in 2011. She represents about one half of one percent of the total number of cases set for trial this week. Howland is represented by the Simmons Hanly Conroy firm in Alton.