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Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals which were used widely in many products due to their strength, flexibility and resistance to fire. The versatile nature of the asbestos fibre made it suitable for use in a wide range of forms including insulating lagging on pipes and boilers, insulating jackets for cold water tanks, fire insulation for beams and girders, asbestos cement, floor tiles and artex. It was weaved into textiles such as fire blankets, formed the lining of car brakes and was used to build flame resistant hulls for naval and merchant ships.
Today, the harmful effects of asbestos are well known and there are very strict controls over its use. The dangers arise when tiny asbestos fibres become airborne and are breathed into the lungs. There they can become lodged and cause damage such as scarring to the lungs or cancer, although it may take between 15 and 60 years for any lung disease to develop. The types of illness that may occur include asbestosis, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, diffuse pleural thickening, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
You may have a claim for compensation if you are suffering from an asbestos related illness, even if your exposure to asbestos was many years ago. Such claims are usually made by former employees against their employer at the time of the exposure. To succeed in a claim, we would need to show that your employer or former employer should have been aware of the dangers of asbestos and yet failed to give you proper protection and adequate warnings about the risk. Given that some of the dangers of asbestos were known as far back as the 1930’s, it may possible to show that steps ought to have been taken by employers to protect their workforce as long ago as that.
Even if your former employer no longer exists, you may still be able to bring a claim for compensation as we will undertake research on your behalf to locate the relevant insurer.
If a relative has died due to asbestos exposure, a claim for compensation may be brought on behalf of their estate for the pain and suffering they endured and any losses incurred up to the date of death. In addition, there may be a claim for compensation for the bereavement and for the financial losses sustained by any dependants left behind.
Family members may also be able to bring their own claim against a relative’s employer if they have suffered as a result of asbestos fibres coming into the home on the clothing of the worker.
If you think that you may have an asbestos related claim, even if you have doubts, please contact us for free advice without any obligation to proceed.
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Asbestosis
Mesothelioma
Pleural plaques
Pleural effusion
Diffuse pleural thickening
Lung cancer
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