Peter Kneale Solicitor

The dangers of  asbestos exposure  have been known about since the early 20th century and the first set of health and safety regulations to try and deal with the problem dates back to 1931. Despite this, many employers continued to use asbestos well into the 1970s and 1980s. The nature of the health problems caused by the product, taking time to develop and be diagnosed,  mean that deaths from asbestos exposure are  expected to peak in the next few years  even though exposure decreased significantly about 40 years ago. Under UK law a person who is diagnosed with an asbestos related disease has three years from the date that he first became aware of the diagnosis to start court proceedings. If a person dies from asbestos exposure his family have three years starting  from his death or three years from finding out that the cause of death was asbestos exposure, which may only become apparent when the results of the post-mortem known. As with m...

Being diagnosed with an asbestos related disease is a very worrying time, whether it is you or one of your loved ones. As your solicitor, the first thing I would need to establish is which disease you have been diagnosed with as there are  several different diseases of varying severity . Most people will be aware that asbestos can cause a fatal cancer called mesothelioma. It is not as well-known that asbestos can also significantly increase the risk of someone developing lung cancer, particularly if they smoke as well. However, most people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases have a more chronic condition which restricts their breathing. This can be asbestosis or a slightly different condition called pleural thickening. Both these conditions restrict the movement and flexibility of the lungs. The effect has been described by sufferers as feeling like having an iron band around their chest.  The final condition recognised as being caused by asbestos is pleural plaq...