Asbestos dust is responsible for more deaths than any other work-related cause.  Every year nearly 4,000 people die as a result of exposure to asbestos fibres and this death toll is expected to continue. 

Asbestos was once described as a ‘miracle mineral’.  It was cheap and easy to use and was used in almost every industry from ships, power stations, factories, hospitals, schools to our homes.  It was used in boilers, brake linings and for many other industrial and domestic purposes.
Most skilled and unskilled workers in the thermal insulation, shipbuilding and repair and the trades involved in construction were put at risk by working with or in the vicinity of asbestos without protection until the 1970’s and 1980’s when new regulations forced the use of alternative products.  Asbestos exposure does not just happen to those who worked with it.  Others also at risk were:

• Workers involved in the maintenance of premises or repair of installations where asbestos was present.
• Family members were at risk from asbestos fibres that were carried home on work clothes.
• People living nearby to premises were asbestos was processed or stored if it was not properly contained.

Claims for compensation can be brought against employers or occupiers of buildings many years after the exposure.  But the passage of time can make it very difficult to prove who was responsible for the exposure. 

 At Simpsons we have an experienced team of qualified specialist lawyers dedicated to handling these claims.  If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos related illness such as Asbestosis, Pleural Thickening, Asbestos related Lung Cancer or Mesothelioma get in touch with us now, and one of our experienced team of qualified specialist lawyers will be able to advise you further.