Asbestos Claims - Asbestos was formally regarded as a wonder substance due to its heat resistant properties. Regrettably exposure to asbestos has also caused large numbers of people to suffer from disabling and life threatening medical conditions. Since the 1930s it has been recognised that asbestos was capable of causing disease, and you can claim compensation in some cases.

Despite this the wide spread use of asbestos did not cease until the 1980s and exposure to asbestos still continues whenever and wherever it is removed. Asbestos exposure causes five main medical conditions.

These are;

  1. Pleural Plaques
  2. Diffuse Pleural Thickening
  3. Asbestosis
  4. Lung Cancer
  5. Mesothelioma

Some of these medical conditions cause breathlessness and disability. Others can be fatal. None of these conditions occur immediately. It usually takes at least fifteen years after exposure for the conditions to materialise and for symptoms to occur. It often takes a lot longer.

As a result the Health & Safety Executive predicts that people will still be suffering from and dieing as a result of asbestos related conditions after the year 2030. Asbestos related conditions are not reserved for people who are still alive and worked with asbestos. Successful claims have also been made by:-

  • Employees who worked in the vicinity of other people using asbestos
  • Family members who were exposed to dust brought home on relatives clothing
  • Occupiers of premises where asbestos existed or was removed
  • Relatives of family members who have died from Asbestos related disease

According to the British Lung Foundation, more than 2,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year in the UK and someone dies every five hours. The number of deaths increased from 153 in 1968 to 1,969 in 2004 and is expected to peak at 2,450 between 2011 and 2015. Since asbestos was effectively outlawed in the 80s, the number of cases in those aged under 45 has dropped three-fold while those above 85 have risen three-fold. Professor Peto said chemotherapy and immune therapy to tackle the disease were still in their experimental stages and the most vulnerable group in 10-15 years time will be over 75. Tests to diagnose the disease in its early stages are still imprecise, and there is a debate raging over whether victims should be identified when there is no effective treatment. Professor Peto said the dangers of exposure to asbestos had been known since the 1930s, yet few safeguards were enacted for decades. “Historically it is incomprehensible that this has happened. “That Britain should have made this extraordinary industrial error seems hard to understand,” he added. Dr Keith Prowse, chairman of the British Lung Foundation, said the shortest time for the disease to develop was 15 years while the average was 35. Sufferers show signs of breathlessness, pain in the lower back or chest and a persistent cough. Dr Prowse said extreme surgery was possible in the early stages, with the removal of an affected lung, and latest chemotherapy regimes gave some sufferers an extra three months of survival. He said: “It is a small gain but an important gain if you look at the current prognosis.”

Pinto Potts have a specialist team of dedicated Solicitors who are highly skilled in dealing with Asbestos compensation claims of this nature and cases are handled on a No Win, No Fee Claim basis.

If you would like to speak to one of our Solicitors about Asbestos and related diseases sustained in the workplace simply call us on Freephone: 0800 316 4434 to claim online for asbestos compensation.