Asbestosis claiming lives

Statistics reporting asbestosis deaths have consistently risen over the past quarter of a century. The same goes for asbestosis disablement benefit statistics, which reached their peak at 800 recorded claimants in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Most personal injury solicitors report that the numbers of asbestosis claims they have received over the past 25 years reflect these trends. These asbestosis claims come predominantly from those work sectors which have the most prevalent rates of asbestosis being reported under the terms of the Industrial Injuries Scheme. These are: the energy industries, water industry and construction industry (typically work which involves insulation or stripping).

Examining the statistics detailing asbestosis-related deaths as reported to the Health and Safety Executive by General Register Office reveals that the number of lives asbestosis claims more than doubled between 2000 and 2005, with 835 succumbing to the lung disease in the latter year.

However, the HSE contend that are difficulties in accepting these statistics at face-level as there are some complicating and conflicting factors associated with the reporting of asbestosis deaths. They suggest that the two most significant factors are:

Asbestosis may be mistakenly recorded on some death certificates as it is occasionally misused by medical professionals as a blanket term for describing all asbestos-related diseases rather than the specific disease it is, leading to an exaggeration of the statistics detailing the number of lives asbestosis claims.

It is almost inevitable that many cases of asbestosis are undiagnosed or fail to be recorded, having the effect of underplaying statistics detailing the number of lives asbestosis claims.

So it can be seen that these factors make it difficult to gauge just how many lives asbestosis claims. It is very important that medical professionals continue to remain vigilant in educating themselves in the finer issues involved in diagnosing asbestos-related illnesses and other lung and respiratory illnesses.

Ultimately, failure to correctly diagnose an asbestos-related condition can have far-reaching and disturbing consequences to not only the sufferer of an asbestos-related illness but also on his or her friends and family.

Failure to correctly diagnose a condition such as asbestosis may not only result in a medical negligence claim for misdiagnosis, it may also have the effect of depriving the sufferer of his or her right to make an asbestosis claim. If the condition is not diagnosed, then those responsible can hardly be held accountable.

If the existence of asbestosis becomes apparent after the death of the sufferer, then his or her family should still be able to make a posthumous (after death) asbestosis claim for compensation. However, if the person recording the cause of death on the death certificate fails to identify asbestosis as the cause then families may well find that the grounds for a posthumous asbestosis claim route are also ruled out.

Because of the long incubation period associated with asbestosis, the number of asbestosis claims is expected to rise over the coming few years as people now in their 60s and 70s who worked with asbestos as many as sixty years ago develop the disease.

Making a no win, no fee asbestosis claim
If you, or a member of your family, have developed asbestosis as a result of exposure to asbestos in the workplace, you may be entitled to make an asbestosis claim.

YouClaim have years of experience in helping asbestosis sufferers make successful asbestosis claims.

Our panel of personal injury solicitors is governed by the high-standards of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and contains some of the UK's leading asbestos compensation experts.

We work under a no win, no fee agreement, but it would be more accurate to describe us as win or lose, no fee.

This is because if you win we will not take a cut, meaning you get to keep 100% compensation and, even if you lose, you will not have to pay a penny of costs or fees to the opposing legal side.

Absolutely no costs or fees that is a guarantee.

To discuss making an asbestosis claim with us today, fill out an online claim form, ask us to call you back at a convenient time or call us now on 0800 10 757 95.