Claims for Illness Caused by Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos is often known as ‘the hidden killer’ because many people do not know that they are working or living with asbestos.

Asbestos is the UK’s single greatest cause of work-related deaths, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

Asbestos was used very extensively as a building material from the 1950s through to the mid 1980s. Initially, it was very popular with construction firms because it has a very high resistance to heat. Since the 1960’s and arguably even before that time, it has been widely known within the construction industry that exposure to asbestos was hazardous to health.

The victims of such exposure can usually take legal action against those who exposed them to dangerous amounts of asbestos. At Battens we are experienced in dealing with such claims.

People suffering from asbestos induced illness often do not fall ill for between 15 and 60 years after they have been exposed to asbestos. Securing compensation for victims can be made difficult by the period of time that may have elapsed between the exposure to asbestos and the diagnosis of asbestos-related disease. Often the companies that employed victims are no longer trading, or the buildings in which the exposure occurred have been demolished. This does not mean that a claim against such a company cannot be made.

As lawyers who deal with claims for industrial disease, we are experienced in tracing the insurers of dissolved companies and obtaining compensation from them, even in circumstances where the company itself is no longer trading or is insolvent.

If you are suffering from an asbestos related illness and you would like to speak to one of our specialist lawyers to investigate the possibility of making a claim, please do not hesitate to call us on 0800 6528411. There will be no charge to you for discussing this with us.

In most cases, we are able to offer clients a ‘no-win, no-fee’ agreement. This means that, if our client wins, they can claim our legal fees from the insurer of the company or individual responsible for their injuries. If the claim is not successful, we do not charge you for our legal fees. Unlike most lawyers, we do not make a deduction from our client’s compensation for our own fees.

For more information on workplace disease and how we can help click here.