Asbestos compensation claims

Asbestosis compensation claims

Our industrial disease solicitors have extensive experience in handling asbestosis compensation claims and can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with asbestosis, contact our expert solicitors and get your asbestosis compensation claim underway. Initial advice is free and claims can be handled on a no win, no fee basis, call us 0203 816 0065 for more information.

What is asbestosis?

Asbestosis is not the same as mesothelioma, there are a few distinct differences. The main one being that asbestosis is not a form of cancer, but rather a chronic respiratory disease that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Once inhaled asbestos fibres cause lung scarring and eventual stiffness of the lungs, which prevents the sufferer from taking in deep breaths due to the fact lungs lose their elasticity.

Although asbestosis is not a cancer, studies have shown that patients are far more likely to develop lung cancer and mesothelioma as a result. There are a myriad of long term complications associated with asbestosis and unfortunately there is no cure.

Who does asbestosis affect?

Asbestosis has been known to affect people in the following types of employment:

• Boilermakers and welders
• Electricians
• Joiners, carpenters and builders
• Mechanics
• Pipe fitters and plumbers

Asbestosis has also been known to affect people who have not worked around asbestos. People who have developed asbestosis through exposure to fibres by washing a family member’s clothes and those who have lived near a factory where asbestos was regularly used are also entitled to claim compensation.

Asbestosis symptoms

Due to our work with asbestosis sufferers and the asbestos compensation claims our solicitors have handled we are aware of the majority of symptoms asbestosis carries with it. We would always recommend you seek professional medical advice, but the following symptoms can be used as a guide.

Patients may feel or suffer from:

• A shortness of breath - this may only be noticeable after activity at first but may become an increasing problem at moments of rest
• Persistent coughing
• Wheezing
• Extreme tiredness and fatigue
• Chest pains 

What treatments are available?

Unfortunately there is no cure for asbestosis, as it is impossible to repair or reverse the effect asbestos fibres have on the lungs.

There are oxygen therapy treatments which will benefit those who have a severe case of asbestosis and sometimes a small portable oxygen tank will be supplied for those who have trouble breathing, for use when leaving the home.

It is strongly advised that you do not smoke as this will exacerbate the symptoms of asbestosis.

Due to the severe nature of asbestosis, it is vital that you have a team of solicitors fighting for your right to compensation to ensure you have access to any and all treatments that you may need.

What if my employer has gone out of business?

If the employer responsible for your exposure to asbestosis has ceased operations or gone out of business, you can still claim compensation for your injuries. It’s important you contact the expert solicitors at Stephensons as soon as possible so we can pursue a claim on your behalf by claiming through the insurance company associated with your employer at the time of exposure. 

Can I claim?

Whether you feel your injuries are relatively minor or otherwise, contact our asbestosis compensation claim solicitors as soon as possible. We can help you claim the compensation you deserve to help you get the treatment and care you need. In addition, it is also possible for us to reserve extra funds in the event that you develop more serious asbestos related diseases in the future.

We will help prove that you were exposed to asbestos due to someone else’s negligence and pursue a compensation claim on your behalf, supporting and guiding you through the entire process.

If you have worked with asbestos directly or have been exposed to it indirectly and have developed asbestosis as result, you can claim compensation.

What should I do next?

Call us immediately, our industrial disease solicitors have a proven track record in claiming compensation for those who have developed asbestosis and understand how important it is to pursue a claim for yourself and for your family.

We fight for the maximum amount of compensation at all times and offer our services on a no win, no fee basis.

All it takes to start your claim is a conversation with one of our expert asbestosis and mesothelioma compensation claim solicitors, where you will be provided with some free initial no obligation legal advice. Call us on 0203 816 0065 or complete our online enquiry form and get the compensation you deserve. 

Mesothelioma compensation claims

Mesothelioma is a life threatening disease brought about by interaction and exposure to asbestos. If you have been working with asbestos and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result, you could be entitled to claim compensation. For free initial advice and to discuss your potential mesothelioma claim call our team on 0203 816 0065.

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer directly caused by exposure to asbestos and usually affects the lungs, the heart or the abdomen. Mesothelioma gets its name from the fact it affects the mesothelial cells which cover the outer surface of the body’s internal organs. Medical professionals will investigate as to whether chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy is worthwhile as often after diagnosis, victims may only have a short time to live, Unfortunately there is no cure for mesothelioma and it is considered a terminal illness.

There are two types of mesothelioma, known as:

Pleural mesothelioma - caused by inhaling asbestos fibres into the lungs which causes tumours on the lining (pleura) of the lungs.

Peritoneal mesothelioma - also caused by exposure to asbestos, this type of mesothelioma causes tumours to develop on the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum).

Who does it affect?

Asbestosis or mesothelioma has been known to affect people previously working in the following types of employment:

• Boilermakers and welders
• Electricians
• Joiners, carpenters and builders
• Mechanics
• Pipe fitters and plumbers

However, asbestosis and mesothelioma has been known to affect people who have come into contact with clothes covered in asbestos dust and fibres. The simple act of washing someone’s clothes after they have been in contact with asbestos has been known to cause mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is known to develop between 15 and 40 years after exposure to asbestos and causes symptoms such as pains in the lower back, chest or abdomen, persistent coughs, breathing difficulty and swelling of the abdomen. If you have been exposed or have had to work with asbestos in the past and are suffering from any of these symptoms it is vital you visit your GP.

Start a claim

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis, it’s imperative you act now to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Our industrial disease solicitors have a proven track record in obtaining compensation for clients who have developed mesothelioma through working with asbestos.

If the employer is no longer in existence, it could still be possible to trace the insurers and obtain compensation, if this avenue is unsuccessful it may still be possible to pursue a claim under one of a number of government schemes that compensates sufferers or their relatives.

All it takes to start your claim is a conversation with one of our expert mesothelioma solicitors, where you will be provided with some free initial no obligation legal advice, call us on 0203 816 0065 or complete our online enquiry form and a member of the team will contact you directly.

Am I entitled to any benefits?

You may be able to receive financial assistance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if you have been diagnosed with an industrial disease. The DWP awards a benefit known as Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) to sufferers of the following asbestos-related medical conditions; 

• asbestosis (a form of pneumoconiosis)
• diffuse mesothelioma
• primary carcinoma of the lung
• mesothelioma
• pleural thickening.

Eligible sufferers receive a regular payment, calculated on a sliding percentage scale, according to the level of disablement assessed in their individual case.

If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, you would not normally have to attend a medical assessment and you would receive the highest weekly payment on the scale.

In addition to IIDB, there are various lump sum payments available and Stephensons can advise you in detail regarding your eligibility. Such payments are often made in the following circumstances;

• you are unable to trace a previous employer
• no insurance can be traced for your previous employer
• your exposure took place prior to June 1954
• you were exposed due to washing your partner’s work clothes
• you were exposed when living close to a factory where asbestos was used

Claims on behalf of a family member

It is very important to bear in mind that when a loved one passes away due to an industrial disease, a claim can still be made for them. 

Sadly, many sufferers only discover they have a serious asbestos-related condition when they are already in the advanced stages of the disease. We understand that there are far more important considerations to be had at this incredibly difficult time, however, sufferers can draw some comfort from the knowledge that a claim will help to provide financially for their relatives after their death.  

A claim on behalf of the late sufferer’s estate should be made as soon as possible and court proceedings must be issued within three years of the date of diagnosis.  

Industrial disease-related deaths are always reported to the local Coroner, who may ask that a formal inquest takes place. Stephensons have experience of supporting bereaved clients during this process and have attended inquests with them. The Coroner’s report can assist in building a case against the sufferer’s previous employers.

A bereaved spouse or civil partner can claim a bereavement award and may also be entitled to additional benefits. If the family member did not leave a will, compensation is distributed to their next of kin in accordance with the rules of intestacy.

In addition to compensation for the significant pain and suffering caused to the late sufferer, we will advise you on the various items that can be claimed on behalf of the estate, such as hospice fees and funeral expenses.

All it takes to start your claim is a conversation with one of our expert solicitors, where you will be provided with some free initial no obligation legal advice, call us on 0203 816 0065 or complete our online enquiry form and a member of the team will contact you directly.