Carter Roy

By 1931, her condition has deteriorated so much that the company fires her, quote, because her limping is causing much talk.

Over the next few years, Catherine watches as other dial painters get sick and die.

She loses half her body weight.

Parts of her jaw fall out.

She becomes nearly bedridden.

Local doctors fail to diagnose her, but a Chicago doctor confirms the truth.

She's dying of radium poisoning.

In 1935, Catherine and four other women try to sue the Radium Dial Company.

But remember the statute of limitations problem from New Jersey?

Illinois has the same issue, and it's even worse.

Their laws don't cover poison such as radium.

The case is dismissed.

But Illinois lawmakers have been paying attention to what happened in New Jersey.

In 1936, they passed the Illinois Occupational Disease Act to cover industrial poisoning from radium.

But here's the catch.

The new law isn't retroactive.

It only protects future workers.

Catherine and the other sick women are out of luck.

They try again anyway.

In 1937, they find an attorney named Leonard Grossman who agrees to take the case for free.