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Asbestos-Related Illness
Exposure to asbestos dust and fibres can cause a number of associated illnesses which predominately effect the lungs.
Asbestos-related disease can affect not only those who worked in direct contact with the substance but also their family members, through second hand exposure.
If you, or a loved one, has been in contact with the substance due to the negligence of someone else, you could be entitled to make a claim to cover your pain, suffering and financial loss.
We handle claims on a No Win, No Fee basis and have over 20 years’ experience representing claimants affected by industrial disease. Start your claim by calling us on 0344 854 7000 or submit your details above and we’ll call you back at a suitable time for you.
What is asbestos?
It is a mineral that, up until the 1980s, was widely used as a building material due to its properties of being extremely strong, its resistance to heat and fire and sound insulation effectivity.
What is asbestos-related illness?
Breathing in asbestos dust or fibres can lead to damage to your lungs and cause a range of associated diseases or conditions which include:
• Mesothelioma – Aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen
• Asbestosis – Inflammatory scarring of the lungs
• Asbestos-related lung cancer
• Pleural thickening – thickening of the lining of the lungs
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Conditions can have a long incubation period (known as the latency period), meaning the symptoms often don’t appear for up to 20 years.
How may I have come into contact with asbestos?
Asbestos was widely used as a building material in the UK, until it was banned in 1985. It was used as an ingredient in many construction materials such as cement, plaster and concrete, and in many different insulating materials such as boards, fabric, pipe lagging and loft insulation.
For this reason it is still likely to be found in almost all pre-1980s buildings (including schools and hospitals), in structures such as ships and oil rigs, and even in domestic houses.
It is therefore difficult to pinpoint exactly where you may have been exposed the substance. It is however extremely likely for those who worked as engineers, plumbers, joiners, laggers and dockyard workers up until the 1980s to have been in direct contact with it.
It is also possible to have had secondary exposure to it’s fibres through contact with the clothes of someone who worked directly with asbestos.
Can I make an asbestos compensation claim?
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease in the last three years you may be eligible to make a claim.
If a loved one has sadly passed away, within the last three years, you can also make a claim on their behalf.
Is there a time limit for making a claim?
You must make a claim within three years of being diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness. If a loved one has passed away, you have up to three years from the diagnosis which found asbestos to be the cause to make a claim.
As asbestos-related disease can take decades to develop, we can still help you with your claim even if:
• Your former employer has ceased trading
• You are not sure of the exact date in which you were exposed
• You did not work for the company that you believe to be responsible
How much will my claim be worth?
The amount of compensation that you may receive is dependent upon the individual circumstances of your personal injury case. The amount will depend on factors such as:
• The severity of your further health complications.
• How your life has been affected by your illness.
• Your future care and support needs.
• Financial losses, including how much money you have lost or will lose as a result of the industrial disease (e.g. loss of earnings, travel expenses).
If your partner or parent died as a result of an asbestos related illness, you could be eligible to claim as a ‘dependent’ to account for their loss of income.
How much will it cost to make a claim?
True Solicitors handle all industrial disease claims on a No Win, No Fee basis, meaning that there are no upfront costs to pay.
How do I make a claim?
In order to make an asbestos-related illness claim you must file the claim within 3 years of becoming aware of the diagnosis. Successful claims rely on:
- A medical report from a respiratory disease expert explaining your symptoms.
- It being established that you were exposed to asbestos at a specific workplace or your proximity to living next to an asbestos-related industry.
- Proving that your employer was aware of the risks and could have done something to mitigate them.
We offer a free initial, no obligation assessment of your case. Contact us on 0344 854 7000 or submit your details via our online enquiry form and we’ll call you back.
