About Asbestos Related Illnesses

Exposure to asbestos dust and fibres has been recognised as an occupational health hazard for many years. If your job or workplace exposed you to asbestos, you may have already developed an asbestos related illness or be at an increased risk of doing so in the future.

Your employer is under a legal duty to ensure your well being and protection in the work place and to minimise the risk of asbestos exposure. If you are suffering from an asbestos related illness, you may have grounds for a No Win No Fee claim.

There are many occupations that can potentially lead to asbestos exposure including;

• Construction workers
• Mechanics
• Plumbers
• Appliance Installers
• Engineers
• Electricians

and many more.

Exposure can also occur in many different workplaces including;

• Shipyards
• Textile Mills
• Warehouses
• Steel plants
• Factories
• Power Plants

and many others.

There are several different types of asbestos related illnesses. The symptoms caused by these can vary in severity from a minor condition where there is little physical impact to fatal conditions.

The following are examples of asbestos related illnesses. If any of these affect you, or if you have concerns regarding your exposure to asbestos, then please contact us to discuss the possibility of bringing a No Win No Fee claim.

Mesothelioma

This is a form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs or abdomen and is nearly always caused by exposure to asbestos dust. Treatment can be offered to assist with symptoms and increase life expectancy but there is currently no complete cure for this illness.

Lung Cancer

Heavy exposure to asbestos fibres or dust is known to increase the risk of lung cancer. It can sometimes take over 50 years from being exposed to asbestos before the lung cancer develops. It is estimated that someone exposed to heavy amounts of asbestos dust is up to 5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than someone who has not been so exposed.

Asbestosis

This illness is caused when asbestos fibres become stuck in the lungs, causing inflammation and scarring. Common symptoms include breathlessness and a cough, although some sufferers will have very little physical disability. Asbestosis symptoms will usually get worse the longer you have suffered from the illness. It can take 20 years or longer since you were first exposed to asbestos dust for the illness to develop and for symptoms to become apparent. There is currently no cure for asbestosis.

Pleural Thickening

The pleura is a thin lining between the lung and rib cage. Exposure to asbestos dust can damage and scar this lining, causing pain and breathlessness as a result. The illness can affect either one or both lungs and symptoms can worsen over time. It can take 20 years or longer since first being exposed to asbestos dust before symptoms become apparent.

If you suffer from an asbestos related illness, you may have grounds for a claim.

• You need not be still employed by your employer to make an asbestos related illness claim
• You don’t need to have had a formal diagnosis or medical treatment for your condition to make a claim
• You may claim even if you were exposed to asbestos many years ago. Many asbestos related illnesses can take decades after exposure has ceased to develop.

For no obligation advice, call free on 0800 587 4444  (0333 200 4712 on a mobile) or fill in the form and we’ll call you back

• No Win No Fee guaranteed
• Specialist, independent solicitors
• Speak direct to expert solicitors
• Over 13 years experience

Compensation Amounts

• Mesothelioma: £35,000 – £83,750
• Lung Cancer: £51,500 – £66,000
• Asbestosis: £31,500 – £69,500
• Pleural Thickening: £25,250 – £51,500

Source: Judicial Studies Board Guidelines

You may also be able to recover past and future loss of earnings and other expenses including medical costs, expenses for adaptations and modifications required around the home, the cost of care plus many others.

If the sufferer has died from their condition, it may be possible for their dependents to bring the claim. Bereavement damages may also be available to a spouse or, if unmarried, any children under 18.