Asbestosis and Mesothelioma: The legal implications

Asbestosis is a devastating disease; it comes as a result of inhaling asbestos fibres earlier in life. It happens early on in life but there is a long latency period and symptoms don’t normally begin appearing until later on in life around 50 or 70, making the illness all the more distressing. Mesothelioma is another by-product of asbestos, a rare form of cancer that affects the cells that make up the lining around major organs like lungs, the heart and the abdomen. Pleural Mesothelioma, the form that affects the lungs is the most common variation of the disease. Obviously being diagnosed with Mesothelioma is a distressing revelation and affects many who were exposed to Asbestos earlier in life; Asbestos has now rightfully been outlawed on any business’ premises. For those who have been affected though there are options for them to consider getting compensation for their suffering. Businesses who have failed to protect their employees from asbestos poisoning have been prosecuted since 1929, in recent years the number of prosecutions has risen considerably in recent years as more people have been diagnosed with asbestos related illnesses. The compensation process involves the businesses the sufferer worked for at the time they were exposed to asbestos, the money that is won via these claims is taken from the business’ insurance policies. The problem for many sufferers is that the company they worked for at the time may have closed down by the time symptoms and court cases begin, this is not a problem as many legal specialists are able to trace the relevant insurance company even for collapsed companies from years ago. Some people may think that claiming compensation is opportunistic, in some cases other than this then that may be argued but with Mesothelioma the financial and emotional burden is too great to pass on any assistance even in the form of a compensation cheque. Ongoing medical costs and potential loss of earnings affecting family expenses would make an already trying time even worse and so seeking legal advice once diagnosed is of paramount importance. You need to be clear of when you were exposed to asbestos and who is responsible for it also. Once your legal council is satisfied that you were made unaware of the dangers of working with asbestos or in an environment with asbestos then the sooner they will be able to proceed with your claim.