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If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, our solicitors can help. Our expert team has over 30 years’ experience and has worked on landmark asbestos claims in the Supreme Court.
We can help you make a No Win No Fee* compensation claim, to give you peace of mind and ensure you have the right care in place. If you’ve lost a loved one to an asbestos-related disease, we can also help you make a claim on their behalf.
What Diseases Does Asbestos Cause?
Exposure to asbestos can cause a range of illnesses, including:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Asbestosis
- Pleural thickening
As the UK’s largest team of asbestos solicitors, we have experience helping people claim compensation for all of these illnesses.
Can I Make An Asbestos Compensation Claim?
If you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease in the last three years you could be able to claim. We can also help you make a claim on behalf of a loved one who has already died from an asbestos-related disease, or continue their claim if they die while it is ongoing.
If you’ve previously made a claim and your condition has since worsened, we may also be able to help.
Who Is At Risk From Asbestos Exposure?
People who have worked in industries where asbestos was heavily used are more at risk from asbestos exposure. These industries may include construction, plumbing and shipbuilding.
However, we’ve also helped people who have been exposed because of:
- Working in a building with asbestos (such as schools and hospitals)
- Secondary exposure – i.e. washing a partner’s overalls
- “Environmental” exposure (such as growing up near an asbestos factory)
Why Choose Irwin Mitchell?
We have the largest team of asbestos solicitors in the UK and we’ve won several landmark victories that have led to significant changes in the law. These include:
- The first ever successful case of environmental exposure in 1995
- The first settlement including hospice costs as well as compensation
- Securing deferred payment orders to cover future treatments, including those that hadn’t yet been developed
- We represented June Hanco*ck in the first ever environmental asbestos case, securing her the highest ever award for an industrial disease case at the time
- We were involved in a landmark case at the Supreme Court in 2012, which meant that insurers could be held responsible for asbestos exposure that happened many years earlier
Irwin Mitchell are proud of our work with asbestos and mesothelioma charities across the UK. We work with charities like Mesothelioma UK to get the best help and support for our clients.
Mesothelioma UK are dedicated to providing free specialist information, support, care and treatment for those suffering with asbestos-related diseases. We work closely with the charity, and are listed as recommended legal support for those looking for compensation and additional support. For more information about the charity and the work they do, pleasevisit the Mesothelioma UK website
We have also campaigned in parliament to remove asbestos from public buildings after discovering over 4,500 public buildings still contain asbestos.
The Legal 500 said about our Asbestos solicitors "Aggressive litigators prepared to take on large insurers in asbestos litigation on behalf of individuals (usually with fatal asbestos diseases). They are prepared to hold their ground under pressure and develop new points of law."
Our workplace illness expert Ian Toft recorded a podcast with our client Ron Snaith, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2018. Hear more about how Ron was affected and the help he received in the recording below:
Are There Time Limits For Making An Asbestos Claim?
You usually have three years from the time you were diagnosed to make an asbestos claim. If a loved one has died from an asbestos-related disease, you have three years from when you found out that asbestos was the cause.
Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop, so it doesn’t matter how long ago the asbestos exposure took place. We can help you even if:
- Your former employer has since ceased trading
- You’re not sure when you were exposed
- You didn’t work for the company you believe is responsible
Our solicitors have extensive experience in investigating these claims and recovering compensation from those responsible.
No Win No Fee Asbestos Claims
ANo Win No Fee agreementmeans that you don’t have to pay any upfront fees when you make an asbestos claim.* And if your claim doesn’t succeed, you won’t have to pay anything at all.
What happens if your claim does succeed depends on what type of claim you make:
- For mesothelioma claims– you keep 100% of your compensation.
- For asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, pleural thickening, and pleural plaque claims– we don't ask you to make any contribution to your legal costs but you will need to pay the litigation insurance premium from your compensation if you win the case.
This is because in 2012, the UK government decided that mesothelioma is so serious that the normal No Win No Fee rules shouldn’t apply.
How Much Compensation Can You Claim For An Asbestos Related Disease?
How much you can claim for asbestos related disease will depend on a few different things. Your personal circ*mstances will be taken into account – for example, how it’s affected your quality of life – as well as the type of disease you’ve developed.
If your spouse, long-term partner or parent died from an asbestos related illness, you may be able to claim as a ‘dependent’ to account for their loss of income.
- In 1995, we represented June Hanco*ck in the first ever environmental asbestos case. June’s case was the first of its kind. It extended a company’s duty of care to those affected by secondary exposure to asbestos, not just its employees. Adrian Budgen successfully represented June and secured £4.37m compensation for her - the highest ever award for an industrial disease or fatal injury case at the time
- We can secure hospice care costs as part of a client’s compensation settlement. We have recovered over £600,000 for hospice caresince 2018.
Contact us
Call us today on 0370 1500 100 or use our online enquiry formand we’ll call you back. Your first consultation is free and there’s no obligation to continue.
No Win, No Fee*
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Adrian Budgen Partner Meet Our Asbestos Claims Team
Asbestos Compensation Claims - More Information
The money has allowed me not to worry if I need to pay someone to help out. It was settled out of court… but at least it was some form of recognition. Clive would have been pleased with that."
Sue, client
Defying The Odds Of Mesothelioma 
For an active man who always looks ahead to the next challenge, being diagnosed with mesothelioma and told he had three to nine months to live was a lot to take in. “I was in no man’s land” says Ron.
Ron started his career as a shipbuilding apprentice in the early 1970s. He was 17 years old. Working on newbuild ships and repairing others meant he was regularly exposed to asbestos.
On holiday in September 2018, Ron developed symptoms known to be associated with mesothelioma. His GP arranged tests on his return. The results confirmed he had the asbestos-related cancer and Ron received the diagnosis on his partner’s birthday in December 2018.
Ron’s legal case settled quickly. Our support to access benefits, and the compensation he received, gave him peace of mind since his illness forced him to give up work. The settlement includes provision for the specialist care and treatment he may need in the future.
Nicknamed Great North Ron, he’s about to take part in his 42nd consecutive Great North Run. He plans to start immunotherapy treatment after the event because his cancer’s developing.
Read Ron’s full story
“I think Ron’s an absolute inspiration. His motivation and determination are something else. I’ve never known anybody like him.’’ - Emma Bell, Senior Associate Solicitor
“Everything just went so smoothly, I couldn’t believe how well it went at the time. When I picked Irwin Mitchell, I knew I’d picked the best for me.’’ - Ron, our client
Read More Client Stories
What Are The Time Limits For Making An Asbestos Claim?
You normally have three years to start your claim, from the date that:
- You were diagnosed with an asbestos related illness
- You found out that your loved one’s death was caused by an asbestos related illness
Importantly, the time limit is not from when you or your loved one was first exposed to asbestos.
Asbestos-related diseases can take 20-60 years to develop, so it’s often the case that you won’t be working at the same company where you were exposed. It may also be the case that the company has ceased trading or changed names.
However, you may be able to make a claim even if:
- You are unsure when and where you were exposed to asbestos
- It has been many years (even several decades) since you were exposed
- Your former employer has ceased trading
- You didn’t work for the company you believe is responsible
- You have previously claimed but your condition has worsened (for instance, you may have claimed compensation for pleural thickening, but you have now developed a more serious condition such as mesothelioma)
- Your loved one had started legal proceedings but died before the claim was settled. In this instance you might be able to continue with their claim. You’ll normally have to do this within three years of their death
If you have any questions around whether you can claim, please call us on 0800 056 4110 or contact us online. We offer a free initial consultation about your case with one of our specialist team.
How Much Compensation Can You Claim?
The amount of compensation you could claim will depend on your personal circ*mstances, as well as the type of asbestos related disease you have developed.
Asbestos compensation is calculated taking into account:
- The severity of your illness
- How it’s affected your quality of life
- Loss of income - now and in the future
- Care costs
If your loved one died from an asbestos related illness, it is possible to claim for “dependency” on their income. The following people could claim as dependents:
- Widows or widowers
- A partner who lived with the deceased for two or more years
- Children who were financially dependent on the deceased
Our asbestos lawyers are experienced in calculating compensation amounts that reflect your needs, both now and in the future. Please call us 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation about your claim, or contact us online.
Read More FAQs
Employment Law - if you're facing issues with your current or former employers.
Injured At Work Benefits - Our factsheet provides information on the Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit
Court of Protection - our Court of Protection team can help look after what matters most to you.
All Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.
*To make a No Win No Fee claim, you need to enter into an agreement that's linked to a suitable insurance policy. We'll explain this in more detail before we start your claim.
Founded in Sheffield in 1912, Irwin Mitchell has always been a bit different. Our advisers really get to know the people and business that we help.
We have offices around the UK so wherever you are, our experts can help.
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