MESOTHELIOMA COMPENSATION CLAIM – ASBESTOS CANCER

Asbestos fibres are extremely small, can only be seen under a microscope and can be easily inhaled or swallowed. Contact with even small amounts of certain types of asbestos can result in the development of mesothelioma which is an aggressive form of asbestos related cancer. Exposure is usually the result of negligence by a former employer which can result in a successful mesothelioma compensation claim. Over 3,000 people die in the UK every year from asbestos related diseases and it is estimated that over 250,000 people will have died in the European Union as a result of exposure to asbestos most of whom will succumb to cancer. Those most at risk include :-

• laggers
• merchant navy seamen
• refractory bricklayers
• turbine/boiler operators in power stations
• dockers
• lab technicians
• asbestos factory employees
• building site and construction workers
• aerospace workers
• insulation engineers
• boilermen

Asbestos has been in use for centuries however its proliferation started after the Second World War in 1945 before being totally banned in the European Union in 1999. A link between asbestos and lung disease has been postulated since the beginning of the eighteenth century however a direct connection between asbestos fibres and mesothelioma was only proven by research in 1960. Any exposure to asbestos can be harmful and may cause this condition to develop, but the risk is greater if you are exposed to large amounts for a prolonged period of time especially from a young age. The time between exposure and development of the illness can be as long as 50 years however that is no bar to legal action for a mesothelioma compensation claim which must be either settled or legal proceedings must have been started in a court of law within three years of the symptoms becoming obvious, failing which the opportunity to start a mesothelioma compensation claim may have been lost forever.

There is no doubt that mesothelioma compensation claims are a job for a personal injury solicitor with detailed experience of asbestos related disease cases due to the lengthy latency period between exposure and symptoms, the fact that most former employers are no longer in business and the fatal nature of the disease. Our solicitors have extensive experience of asbestos related disease claims using the no win no fee scheme. Damages are paid in full with no deductions and our claim service is completely risk free. For initial advice just use the helpline or complete the contact form and a member of the Law Society panel of personal injury experts will telephone you to give free advice with no obligation.