Asbestos Disease Q&A

Part One, we discuss being a specialist asbestos disease lawyer; introduce the five main types of asbestos disease; detail what Pleural Plaques are and what Pleural Thickening is.

Part Two, we asked John:

• John, you’ve already told us all about Pleural Plaques and Pleural Thickening, what’s the next asbestos disease you want to talk to us about?
• What is asbestosis?
• Am I likely to die if I get asbestosis?

Part Three, we asked John:

• John, you have already talked previously about Pleural Plaques, Pleural Thickening and Asbestosis. What is the next type of asbestos disease we should know about?
• So asbestos lung cancer cases where you’ve not been a smoker should be easier to prove?
• What’s the position if you have a client with asbestos lung cancer, but worked for multiple employers, each of whom exposed the person to asbestos?
• If I was a smoker, will I still get compensation if I bring an asbestos-related lung cancer claim against my employer?

Part Four, we asked John:

• So, John, we’ve discussed, four of the five main types of asbestos disease – what is the fifth?
• If I’ve suffered asbestos exposure and assuming that I am going to get mesothelioma, how long will it take for me to be diagnosed?
• With cases of mesothelioma and indeed other fatal asbestos illnesses, some people might wonder what the point of getting compensation is, when you are not likely to benefit from it yourself?
• What happens if a client dies during the course of the case?

Part Five, we asked John:

• Why are people still being diagnosed with asbestos disease when asbestos was banned so long ago?
• Are people in social housing at risk of getting asbestos disease if there is any asbestos in the building?
• John, you have said that it generally takes a fairly large amount of asbestos exposure to cause asbestos disease. However, we sometimes read in the Press of cases where people in their early twenties have got asbestos disease. How does this tie in with the notion that someone has to have been exposed to a large amount of asbestos before getting the disease?

Part Six, we asked John:

• What happens if the company I worked for no longer exists?
• How does an asbestos solicitor find out details of all the companies an asbestos client worked for?
• Will an asbestos claim fail if the employer can’t be traced?
• If you can’t trace an insurance company, will my asbestos claim fail?

Part Seven, we asked John:

• Whether we are nearer to a cure,
• When if ever we’ll see the eradication of asbestos from the UK,
• What his average day is like as an asbestos disease solicitor and, importantly,
• What John’s advice is to those people who worked with asbestos many years ago, who aren’t displaying any symptoms of asbestos disease, but are nevertheless worried about getting an asbestos illness.