Have you had a diagnosis of asbestos disease?

Corries are a UK leading Asbestos Claims Solicitors firm. We have acted for over 27 years from York and Glasgow fighting for asbestos victims throughout the UK.

Call our team now FREE on 0800 083 7839 or e mail us at info@corries.co.uk

Asbestos Disease -what have I got and can I claim compensation?

Our team take calls from asbestos disease victims every day.

Exposure to asbestos can affect people with a short period from exposure to disease as little as 10 years and in some cases as much as 60 years from first exposure.

I have COPD or Emphysema or Asthma – are they due to asbestos?

Sadly these conditions are not usually associated with asbestos exposure. Sometimes exposures to some dusts of fumes may cause chest problems. You should consult your doctor if this is the case.

I have asbestos pleural plaques – can I claim?

Sadly in England & Wales we cannot get compensation for pleural plaques. Compensation did used to be paid to victims from the late 1970’s through to 2005. At that stage the insurance industry, tired of paying out to victims who then did not consider to be injured took cases from first instance to the then highest court of the House of Lords and shut the door to compensation for such victims.

About nine out of ten telephone calls we receive are from people who have this condition. For them we can offer our FREE pleural plaque register which supports those victims in case they get one of the other conditions.

Commonly cases of pleural plaques are mis-noted by busy medical teams. All too often we see “pleural plaques due to asbestosis”

This is wrong. Pleural plaques are caused by asbestos. The disease asbestosis (dealt with below) is a different disease entirely.

I have pleural thickening – can I claim for that?

The use of the term pleural plaques and pleural thickening can sometimes be written down in a clumsy way or confuses the condition.

To make a claim for pleural thickening the amount of and the extent of thickening must be made clear. Typically the thickening must cover at least 50% of one lung or 25% of the lung area of both lungs. There is recognised medical criteria which must be met. The thickening must be enough to stop the lungs expanding. The medical term we need to see written down is DIFFUSE.

The best guidance is whether the thickening is enough to attract the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit called D9.

We recommend that you get a copy of the x ray and scan report before you contact us so we can steer you in the right direction.

Pleural thickening can be caused by a build up of fluid in the area between the lung and the rib cage. Our medical experts know that up to 20 causes for this can be blamed. We can help you work this through this and to see if the thickening is due to asbestos and if it is disabling.

I have got fibrosis of the lungs – is this asbestosis and can I make a claim?

Where people breathe in dust and fumes then the lung tissue can be broken down and become fibrotic. Where this occurs then the lung tissue does not work as well and the air breathed in does not pass through the body as well as it should.

There can be various causes of fibrosis. Terms like UIP, CFA and IPF are commonly used in medical letters and records.

To make a claim for compensation we need to show that on balance the fibrosis can reasonably be called asbestosis. Typically the exposure we need to show must reach what is known as the Helskini criteria.

This equates to one year of very heavy asbestos exposure, typically from someone like a lagger.

Secondly it can be from someone exposed in a job such as a joiner , carpenter or plumber or other in the building trade. This exposure must last several years and must still involve a significant dose of regular asbestos work.

Our team read medical records every day. There is often a lack of knowledge or application by the medical teams to get the diagnosis nailed down and to look into treatment. We can help make the pathway to a possible claim.

What if I have cancer – can I claim then?

if you have mesothelioma or lung cancer we recommend you go to this page https://www.corries.co.uk/asbestos-claims/asbestos-diseases/

Typically mesothelioma cases are only due to exposure to asbestos. Lung cancer cases are more difficult.

What are the building blocks for a diagnosis?

The steps we look to build up are:-

1. A clear diagnosis of damage on chest x rays and scans – the scans in particular will reveal the extent of the damage – there may be a need for an independent radiologist report to confirm what is there;
2. Some evidence on a lung function test that there is a change to the lung function and to how the body is reacting to the damage it has suffered and;
3. Thirdly a clear clinical picture of what symptoms you are suffering.

So what can I do?

With great pressures on the NHS getting worse then establishing a clear diagnosis and being signposted to treatment or help can be difficult.

Our advice is that:-

1.If you are worried that your health has got worse then ask your G.P to organise a Chest x ray and;

2. Get the result of that x ray and try and establish if there is anything abnormal and then;

3. Seek a referral to a Respiratory Department. Ideally a CT scan should be obtained.

4. Then a discussion with a consultant should be held. You should ask the doctor if you have any of the diseases mentioned above and then;

5. If any options to help you are open including, home or ambulatory oxygen, pulmonary rehabilitation or some sort of anti fibrotic medication.

Help and guidance

Our friendly team can help you to see if asbestos is affecting your health. However, without a formal diagnosis there is little that we can do. Follow the steps above. If you are not sure what the doctors have told you then ask them to put it in a letter. Then send it to us. We are happy to help and pride ourselves on talking to you in words you can understand.

At Corries we care. You can count on Corries.

call us FREE on 0800 083 7839.