Asbestos claims – our campaign to raise awareness and help those missing out

July 12, 2019

Corries are nationwide asbestos claim specialists. We advertise nationally to help asbestos disease victims.

In this article we give helpful information about the different ways to claim and why we advertise in the way we do.

We are advertising for claims in the weekend of 13th and 14th July 2019. A copy of a typical advert is at the top of the page and on our social media. Whilst many of you may be enjoying the Wimbledon finals, world cricket or Grand Prix we will be hard at work helping those affected by asbestos disease.

The Asbestos epidemic

So why do we advertise? Because asbestos disease is a time bomb which is affecting lives every day.

There have been various news and media articles which have highlighted the affect of asbestos disease and deaths so far https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/07/britains-death-toll-from-asbestos-at-crisis-level-figures-reveal

Statistics from the Health & Safety Executive show that there are increasing numbers of people affected with or dying due to asbestos disease. A link to their statistics can be found here http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/mesothelioma/mesothelioma.pdf

Asbestos disease is simply not going away. You may already know – and are likely to know – someone affected with asbestos disease in your community.

New Scheme – what new scheme?

As nationwide Asbestos claims solicitors we regularly advertise in the national and local media. We invite people to come forward to make claims for asbestos compensation.

In our advert we refer to a New Asbestos Scheme. This is to direct people to make a claim for asbestos related mesothelioma

The scheme to which we are referring is the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme. Let us deal with that first.

The Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS)

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung due to asbestos. There are about 2600 people each year given this diagnosis. It is a fatal diagnosis with limited treatment options.

We write about the condition and treatment in this article link here https://www.corries.co.uk/action-mesothelioma-day-corries-short-guide-to-treatment-for-mesothelioma/

For many of these victims a common law claim against their former employer is made against them or their Employers Liability Insurer.

Where there is no company or insurers the DMPS steps in. It was set up in 2014 and started paying cases in July 2014 for cases following diagnosis after 2012. It has a strict criteria and can pay out where a common law claim might fail.

The DMPS was set up by the Government and is funded by a levy paid by the insurance industry.

July 2014 is a long time ago – isn’t it?

It might seem so. However our experience is that far too many mesothelioma victims are slipping through the net. This is for several reasons

  1. The scheme is not broadly advertised by the Government or the insurance industry;
  2. People are not made aware of it when diagnosed by the doctors and;
  3. Those that try it themselves may fall short because they do not have the legal knowledge to present it to the claims handlers;
  4. Those that instruct solicitors use solicitors without experience in the field or knowledge of how to present the cases to the claims handlers.

The statistics for claims under the scheme shows a large number of people are slipping through the net. Even though many people might be eleigible the numbers each year are steady or decreasing. The facts and figures are here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diffuse-mesothelioma-payment-scheme-statistics

We are seeking to start a campaign to extend the scheme to cases involving women. Here is a link to our previous article about this and our hopes that everyone with mesothelioma gets compensation https://www.corries.co.uk/asbestos-cancer-scheme-call-change-government-letting-victims/

Common Law Claims

At Corries we want to help all victims of asbestos disease, not just those with mesothelioma.

We can help with claims for

Asbestosis

Diffuse Pleural Thickening

Lung Cancer

We can help with advice about making common law claims against former employers or their insurers. Our team are specialists in making such cases. We often win cases other lawyers turn down. Here is a link to our news page which shows just a small number of our success stories https://www.corries.co.uk/asbestos-claims/asbestos-news/

Common law claims for dissolved companies

There are many companies who have gone bust or dissolved since they exposed workers to asbestos. Not all can be traced and knowledge of any schemes to meet cases is essential. Many people affected by these companies may be missing out.

At Corries we have been helping people for over 20 years. Here is an example of how we were able to help a former Turner & Newall group worker https://www.corries.co.uk/asbestosis-claim-win-in-five-months-for-asbestos-big-six-worker/

Our team have had dealings with different schemes handlers. We take pride in our success rate with such cases.

Benefits and Government Schemes

However it is not only common law claims that we can help with. We can help you with a pathway to securing benefits. Here is a link to our guide to benefits for asbestos disease https://www.corries.co.uk/action-mesothelioma-day-corries-short-guide-to-benefits-for-asbestos-victims/

The key benefits which can help asbestos victims are

  1. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and;
  2. Attendance Allowance

We can help you with those benefits or steer you to the people who can help. We believe that thousands – if not millions – are losing out on benefits.

What’s in it for you?

Of course we are a business. We make our money getting costs on cases in addition to the damages or benefits that we secure for asbestos victims.

We operate on a “No Win No Fee” basis. If we make a claim and cannot win then it will not cost you a penny. If you do win we take a percentage of your claim. This is ringfenced to certain types of claim. We can explain this to you.

This percentage reflects the need to make up losses on cases where we invest a huge amount of time and effort where the case cannot succeed.

I have Pleural plaques – can I claim?

The most common asbestos disease is Pleural plaques. This is a scarring of the lining of the lung. it is painless but since 2005 compensation is no longer available for it.

No solicitor in England or Wales can get compensation or benefits for this condition. You can secure compensation if you worked in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

At Corries we invest in Pleural Plaques cases. We keep a FREE Pleural Plaque Register. Here is a link to why we keep the register and how it might help you and your family https://www.corries.co.uk/asbestos-claims/pleural-plaques-register/

Summary

Asbestos disease is not going away. Getting good, sensible and honest advice is vital. At Corries we pride ourselves in taking the time to talk to you. We will make sure you know what the options are. Our lawyers will always do their best.

We are in the office this weekend from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm and in normal office hours after that. Give us a call for FREE on 0800 083 7839. Another way would be to visit our website link and leave your details. We can get in touch when you want us to. Here is the link – https://www.corries.co.uk/

We hope your enjoy the sport this weekend