Asbestos Related Diseases

See Also : Asbestos and its uses | Asbestos related diseases
Tracing Employers | Family Claims | Asbestos Occupations

Asbestos Lung Cancer

Asbestos lung cancer can appear many years after the original exposure to asbestos. Since many trades used to use or work with asbestos before the serious dangers associated with asbestos were known, many people now find themselves with asbestos lung cancer and other related diseases or conditions: Mesothelioma, Pleural Thickening and Asbestosis are just a few. For more detailed information on these conditions, use the links at the bottom of the page.

Smokers who develop asbestos lung cancer are often reluctant to make a compensation claim, but medical evidence indicates that, of those with a history of significant exposure to asbestos, smokers are much more likely than non-smokers to develop asbestos lung cancer. Asbestos is a significant contributing factor in the development of lung cancer and so smokers are entitled to make a claim if this is the case.

Corries has many years experience in making claims associated with asbestos lung cancer and we have several dedicated teams. For example we have a asbestos mesothelioma legal claim team who specialise in complex asbestos mesothelioma legal claims.

Pleural Plaques

In October of 2007 the House of Lords decided that pleural plaques did not amount to an actionable injury.

The decision is the final step in an appeals process that started in 2005. This brings an end to compensation claims for pleural plaques that have been successfully resolved for claimants for more than 20 years.

Pleural plaques are areas of scarring on the membrane around the lungs. Their only known cause is significant asbestos exposure. Individuals with pleural plaques have a significant risk of developing more serious asbestos related conditions such as asbestosis, pleural thickening, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Individuals with pleural plaques are left unable to claim as a result of the House of Lords judgment. The decision also prevents cases already issued at Court from going any further.

Many pleural plaques sufferers develop anxiety as a result of the diagnosis - particularly those who have seen friends and colleagues succumb to serious asbestos related conditions in the past. The House of Lords have decided that even the combination of plaques and anxiety does not prove a basis for a claim for compensation.

Individuals receiving a new diagnosis of pleural plaques should still seek legal advice to protect their position and to ensure that valuable evidence is retained.

Pleural Thickening

The pleura is the thin membrane overlying the lungs. Pleural fluid, only a few millimetres thick, lubricates the movement of the lungs. When the pleura is irritated by asbestos fibres, extra fluid collects (pleural effusion). When the fluid is reabsorbed by the pleura, it can leave the pleura thickened. If the thickening is severe, it can restrict the lungs' ability to expand and contract. The existence of pleural thickening is evidence of past exposure to asbestos and places that person at a higher risk of developing other asbestos diseases.

Asbestosis

This causes irritation and inflammation of the lungs and reduces the ability to breathe properly. Asbestosis is a condition which gradually worsens and can eventually be fatal.

Mesothelioma

If you suffer from mesothelioma, a compensation claim might help improve your standard of living or pay for essential cancer care. Every year over 2,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma with men being four times more likely to suffer from this cancer than women. Official figures predict that the incidence of mesothelioma will continue to rise over the next 10 to 15 years. The vast majority of mesotheliomas develop as a consequence of past asbestos exposure and sufferers may be eligible to make a mesothelioma compensation claim.

Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma) or the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma). Normally the lining around the lungs helps lubricate their expansion and contraction and the lining around the abdomen works in a similar way, assisting the internal organs to move smoothly inside us. Mesothelioma sufferers experience pain and discomfort, and weight loss; pleural mesothelioma sufferers have difficulty breathing and coughing; people with peritoneal mesothelioma experience diarrhoea and sickness.

Making a mesothelioma compensation claim will depend on medical evidence, which our mesothelioma solicitors can help you gather. Our teams have considerable experience negotiating mesothelioma compensation and our trained mesothelioma claim solicitors will negotiate the maximum settlement possible from your previous employers.

Even if the company you used to work for no longer exists, you can still make a mesothelioma compensation claim.

To speak in confidence with a member of our asbestos legal claim teams, about these or other asbestos related conditions call us on 00800 043 8884/strong>