Nigel Askew Solicitors specialise in claims for asbestosis and our solicitors have over 25 years experience in successfully winning compensation for our clients. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos related condition and would like legal advice on to how to claim for asbestosis, then please contact us today for a free and no obligation phone consultation.
Exposure to Asbestos dust can lead to Asbestosis
The use of asbestos in the UK was common throughout the 1950’s until it was banned in the mid 1990’s. Due to its heat and fire resistant properties, a wide variety of industries used asbestos in varying forms.
Hundreds of thousands of the UK workforce worked with asbestos on a daily basis, unaware of the dangers associated with exposure.
Common types of exposure include;
- exposure to asbestos in a factory or in construction particularly the construction of power stations
- exposure to asbestos in the plumbing and lagging industry
- exposure to asbestos in the shipbuilding industry
- exposure to asbestos in the manufacturing industry
If you were exposed to asbestos during your working life and have now been diagnosed with an asbestos related condition then you may be entitled to make a financial claim for compensation.
It does not matter that you were exposed to asbestos a long time ago, if you have been diagnosed with asbestosis in the past 3 years, our expert solicitors can advise you on a claim for asbestosis.
Symptoms of Asbestosis
The time between exposure to asbestos dust and the first signs of symptoms can be 30 to 40 years or more.
Symptoms usually begin with breathlessness and accompanied by a cough, chest pain, or a feeling of tightness in the chest. A loss of appetite is usual and sudden weight loss may occur.
If you are currently experiencing any of the above symptoms and have been exposed to large amounts of asbestos dust during your working career, we recommend you contact us as soon as possible. We can liaise with your GP and arrange for you to have a chest x-ray.
How to Claim for Asbestosis
Upon experiencing any of the common symptoms of asbestos related disease, a family GP will often refer a patient to a hospital for an x-ray and then typically a CT-scan. Further investigations may include a biopsy. Once a diagnosis has been given by an expert consultant, support and practical guidance is provided by local support groups and charities such as Marie Curie and Mesothelioma UK.
It is usually at this stage that patients seek expert legal advice regarding compensation claims.
How much does it cost to make an Asbestosis claim?
No upfront fees are required to make a claim.
We use Conditional Fee Agreements to fund our asbestos asbestosis claims. These agreements are also commonly referred to as either a “CFA” or a “No Win No Fee agreement”. The nature of these agreements means that law firms take all the financial risk and not the client. If a claim fails, the law firm is not paid and the client does not have to pay any solicitor’s fees for their time. For taking this risk, it is common for law firms to agree with a client that they will be paid up to 25% of the client’s compensation at the end of a successful claim. Law firms fees are mostly paid by the insurers of the losing party, not the client personally and no upfront fees are required to be paid by the client to get a claim up and running.
How long do Asbestosis claims take to settle?
Claims for asbestosis are complex and can take up to 24 months to settle.
Sometimes, very sadly, the person suffering from an asbestos-related disease does not survive to see the conclusion of their asbestosis claim. Where this happens, the expert solicitors at Nigel Askew are able to assist the family with the Coroner’s investigations, including supplying the Coroner with details of work history and exposure to asbestos.
Of course, there is nothing that we can do can lessen the emotional turmoil of losing a loved one to asbestos-related disease, but when the family feel that they are ready, our specialist asbestos solicitors are able to continue the claim on behalf of the next of kin, to ensure that compensation is obtained and justice is gained.
Compensation amount for Asbestosis
Our asbestos solicitors work especially hard to secure the maximum levels of compensation for all of our clients. Compensation amounts for asbestosis are based on a set of national guidelines, which range between £12,020 and £84,380.
There are several factors which affect the exact amount of compensation you receive, they include;
- the severity of your condition
- your age and loss of future earnings as a result of your condition
- your life expectancy
- whether you have any dependants
Start your claim for Asbestosis today
From our offices in Louth in Lincolnshire, we are able to advise asbestosis clients across England and Wales. We are also able to advise ex-pat clients, exposed to asbestos in England or Wales but who are now living abroad, on asbestosis claims.
To start the claim process, contact us by calling 01507 609027 or you can complete our no obligation online enquiry form. One of our friendly and expert solicitors will then call you to discuss your matter in more detail, and whether you are eligible to claim compensation for your exposure to asbestos.
For more information about claiming for asbestosis, click here.