Woodward Industrial Disease Representation
Asbestos related diseases
Asbestos can be found in any building built before 2000 (houses, factories, offices, schools, hospitals etc). When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed and damaged, fibres are released into the air. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious disease. The diseases often take many years, even decades, to develop.Asbestos related diseases include:
• Pleural plaques – Pleural plaques are irregular patches of thickening or scarring on the lining of the chest wall or on the diaphgram. In themselves, pleural plaques are not considered dangerous and compensation isn’t awarded in England and Wales for pleural plaques as the Courts do not accept that they amount to an injury. They are, however, an indication of asbestos exposure and therefore there is a chance that another asbestos disease may develop in the future.
• Diffuse pleural thickening – Asbestos fibres may attack and thicken the pleura surrounding the lungs. This can make breathing difficult. Inflammation can cause severe pain.
• Asbestosis (sometimes called interstitial pulmonary fibrosis) – This refers to the lung being damages by the body’s inflammatory reaction to asbestos fibres which results in the lungs becoming stiff and making it difficult for the lungs to inflate on breathing.
• Asbestos related lung cancer – Workers exposed to asbestos have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. The risk is greatly increased if one has smoked. Once smoking stops the risk becomes less each year.
• Mesothelioma – This is a very aggressive cancer for which there is no known cure. The period between exposure to asbestos and development of mesothelioma may be as short as 10 years or longer than 60 years. Unlike other asbestos diseases, mesothelioma isn’t dose related. There have been cases where family members of a worker who had asbestos on their clothing when they arrived home have developed mesothelioma.
As in many industrial claims, in asbestos related disease claims, it is often necessary to trace companies and their insurers before claim can begin. A full employment history is needed as are details about the Claimant’s potential exposure outside work. Expert evidence from a Consultant Respiratory Physician and an Engineer (or another similar expert) will be required. As these claims are complex one should instruct a Solicitor who has a specialism in dealing with asbestos injury claims.
Woodward are happy to consider accepting instructions in this type of claim.
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Woodward Industrial Disease Solicitors
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