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Asbestosis and Pleural Thickening a Guide to Compensation

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Asbestosis and Pleural Thickening a Guide to Compensation Asbestosis and Pleural Thickening A guide to compensation Freephone 0808 164 3730 www.asbestoslawpartnership.co.uk Introduction This guide is written for you if you are suffering from pleural thickening or asbestosis or have a family member or friend who is suffering from these conditions. If you have pleural thickening or asbestosis you will be entitled to compensation. You get one chance at claiming compensation. This guide aims to help you use that chance and tells you about the compensation you could get through the Courts and from the Government. We will provide you with the expert legal advice you need to ensure that you receive the compensation you are entitled to. 02 Why Choose The Asbestos Law Partnership LLP? The Asbestos Law Partnership has been set up to act for asbestos sufferers. We have over 50 years' “ experience of representing people who suffer from asbestos diseases and their families. All the solicitors in the firm If you ask us to deal with your specialise in asbestos disease case we guarantee: cases. ” 1. Your case will be dealt with by We only deal with asbestos a qualified solicitor who is a cases to make sure that we specialist in asbestos cases. have the necessary expertise 2. We will come and visit you and specialist knowledge to anywhere in the UK. maximise the prospects of successfully pursuing your 3. We will not ask you to pay case. anything for the work we carry out. Prior to setting up The 4. We will not deduct anything Asbestos Law Partnership, all from the compensation we our solicitors had been obtain for you. partners in the specialist disease firm, John Pickering 5. We will always communicate and Partners LLP. with you in plain English and avoid legal jargon. We have previously been 6. We will assist you in obtaining involved in most of the Government benefits. important test cases relating to asbestos disease claims and 7. We will not act for Defendants. have constantly fought to promote and preserve the rights of asbestos disease sufferers. Freephone 0808 164 3730 03 What is asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally We will help identify where • Corrugated roofing sheets occurring mineral that has you could have breathed in Soffits, guttering and been mined for hundreds asbestos dust by going • of years. through your family and downpipes work history with you. • Insulation around pipework Asbestos fibres are fireproof and boilers and very durable and have Exposure normally happens been manufactured into many when a product containing • Insulation board e.g. different materials. asbestos is disturbed and Asbestolux asbestos fibres are released • Sprayed asbestos coatings An asbestos fibre is 50 to 200 into the air. times thinner than a human • Ceiling tiles hair, can float in the air for a Asbestos was manufactured in • Vinyl floor tiles long time, can be invisible to a large number of products in • Asbestos rope the naked eye and can be the UK particularly between breathed into the lungs. 1930 and 1980. These are some • Asbestos partitions of the products which • Artex Working out how and when contained asbestos: • Asbestos insulation quilts you breathed in asbestos dust Asbestos clothing can be difficult. • Throughout the 20th Century, the knowledge of the dangers of asbestos in the UK increased, but it wasn’t until 1999 that the use of asbestos was banned in the UK. This timeline sets out some of the key dates. 1906 1924 1928 1930 1931 1938 Dr Montague Nellie Kershaw, Government Government Asbestos Industry Factory Inspector Murray gives first reported Factory Inspector Factory Inspector Regulations 1931 Report: “It is not evidence to the death due to notes cases report by Dr seek to control the many years ago Departmental asbestosis . Nellie involving asbestos Merewether and Mr amount of asbestos when the dust of Committee on had worked at exposure causing Price makes link dust in factories. Asbestos was Industrial Diseases Turner Brothers asbestosis. between asbestos regarded as of the death of a Asbestos in exposure and innocuous, while man from an Rochdale. asbestosis in the to-day it is asbestos related asbestos industry. recognised as condition . highly dangerous”. 04 " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " * * 1999 Compulsory ban on white asbestos. " 1993 Groundbreaking case, Margereson and Hancock v J W Roberts held that from 1933 J W Roberts should have known children playing near their asbestos factory in Armley were at risk of developing asbestos related diseases. * * 1924 " 1987 " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " """" " " " """ """ " " " " " Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations give greater protection to employees at work. " " " 1985 Compulsory ban * * on blue and brown asbestos. * " " " *" " * "* * 1983 UK Government introduces further Asbestos Regulations. """ """ """ " " 1952 " " 1982 Yorkshire TV’s prime time documentary, Alice – A Fight for Life, * " " " *" " * "* * """ """ """ " ignites public and political debate around asbestos use in UK. " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " 1980 " Voluntary ban on brown asbestos. 1971 Groundbreaking World in Action documentary focuses on Cape’s Acre " 1971 Mill factory in Hebden Bridge and its dangerous use of asbestos. * " " " *" " * "* * " " " 1970 " * * Voluntary ban on blue asbestos. " " 1969 UK Government introduces further Asbestos Regulations seeking to control exposure to asbestos dust. 1982 1965 Front page Sunday Times article reports the link between low level asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. 1952 1955 1960 1960 1961 1965 Nora Dockerty’s Eminent Scientist, Pathologist, Chris Shipbuilding and Factories Act seeks Dr Muriel family first in the Sir Richard Doll, Wagner, reports Ship-repairing to control the Newhouse and her """ UK to receive reports a link """ link between Regu""la" "tions seek amount of dust in colleague Hilda compensation for between asbestos asbestos exposure to control the factories. Thompson report her death from an dust and cancer . and mesothelioma . amount of a link between " asbestos related asbestos dust in washing husband’s disease. Nora had the shipbuilding dusty asbestos worked at Turner and repairing overalls and " Brothers Asbestos industry. mesothelioma. in Rochdale for 13 years. 05 * " " " *" " * "* * " " " " " " Where have I been exposed to asbestos dust? Asbestos roof Fire doors insulated with asbestos boards Sprayed asbestos fire-proofing insulation Lagged pipework containing asbestos Asbestos ceiling tiles Asbestos floor tiles Asbestos textured paints and plasters Asbestos partitions Lagging on boilers containing asbestos 06 ! ! ! ! ! 07 What are pleural thickening and asbestosis? What is pleural The scarring is only called How are asbestos thickening? asbestosis when there has been related pleural heavy exposure to asbestos dust. thickening and Pleural thickening is scarring It is often difficult to work out asbestosis diagnosed? and thickening of the lining of how much asbestos dust you 1. The role of the GP the lung caused by exposure have been exposed to. to asbestos dust. It causes If you have been exposed to breathlessness which may If you were an asbestos lagger asbestos dust and develop be mild or severe. or asbestos sprayer or worked breathlessness or a cough with large amounts of asbestos you should see your GP. What causes asbestos related then 1 year of constant exposure pleural thickening? to asbestos dust may be Your GP is likely to refer you enough to cause asbestosis. for a chest X-ray. Exposure to asbestos dust causes pleural thickening. The 2. The role of the Specialist If you were exposed to asbestos exposure to asbestos dust does dust on and off for example as To reach a diagnosis, the NOT have to be heavy exposure. a shipbuilder or construction following investigations may be carried out: What are the symptoms of worker then 5 to 10 years of this asbestos related pleural exposure to asbestos dust may X-ray of the chest thickening? be enough to cause asbestosis. • • CT scan Breathlessness which may be Small amounts of exposure to • Breathing tests mild or severe. asbestos dust does not cause What treatment is asbestosis. What is asbestosis? there for pleural thickening and We will help you work out how Asbestosis is a scarring of asbestosis? much asbestos dust you have the lung caused by exposure been exposed to and whether to asbestos dust. It causes There is no treatment to cure we can prove that the asbestos breathlessness which may pleural thickening or asbestosis. exposure has caused the be mild or severe. You will normally be kept asbestosis. under annual review by your What causes asbestosis? consultant chest physician. What are the symptoms If your breathlessness gets of asbestosis? Asbestosis is caused by very bad then you may be exposure to asbestos dust. • Breathlessness offered treatment to help the There are a number of different • Cough breathlessness for example causes of scarring to the lungs. oxygen. 08 Claiming compensation for pleural thickening and asbestosis through the courts If you were exposed to asbestos to be very heavy over a year or There are various parts to the dust and are diagnosed with more for you to get this illness. puzzle that have to be investigated asbestos related pleural and hurdles that have to be thickening or asbestosis, you You do not have to breathe in a overcome before the jigsaw may be entitled to bring a lot of asbestos dust to develop puzzle fits together. claim for compensation pleural thickening. through the courts. In an asbestos claim where Bringing an asbestos claim is
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