Ian Toft Has Received APIL Accreditation

An expert asbestos lawyer from Irwin Mitchell has received official accreditation from the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) after being recognised for his dedication to supporting people who have been diagnosed with industrial disease.

Ian Toft, a partner and head of industrial illness team in Leeds, has been recognised for his expertise in acting for clients with asbestos-related diseases in both Yorkshire, and around the country.

APIL accreditation provides a quality mark of excellence for solicitors and barristers dealing with personal injury claims which helps those looking for legal help to recognise expertise within the legal profession.

Ian has specialised in representing people affected by asbestos related diseases, and their families, for more than a decade and is an accredited occupational and asbestos disease specialist.

This year, Ian agreed a ground-breaking agreement for one of his clients who had been diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. The agreement included treatments which may not currently exist, or be available yet, offering peace of mind and flexibility to the Halifax-based man. As part of this agreement, the insurers of the man’s former employers have the right to challenge the cost of any such treatments at court.

Ian said: 

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“I am extremely proud to have become an accredited occupational and asbestos disease specialist by APIL, one of only three APIL accredited lawyers in Leeds.

“At Irwin Mitchell we aim to provide an unrivalled level of support to those who have suffered from an industrial illness, obtaining access for clients to the best possible treatment and care services to provide the best quality of life.

“We will continue to offer help and guidance from our experience in this field to those who are also hoping to become accredited by the claimant lawyers’ leading association.” Ian Toft - Partner & Head of Asbestos and Occupational Disease (North)

Last year’s independent Legal 500 UK Guide Guides to the best lawyers in the country ranked Irwin Mitchell’s personal injury team as number one, while Chambers UK ranked the industrial disease time in the top band across the country.

The team in Yorkshire, under the Ian’s leadership, has recovered £330,000 in hospice costs from insurers for its clients. All of which have been put back into the region’s hospices to enable them to keep on providing the much-needed care for those who require it.

In February this year, Ian and his team recovered £20,000 for a West Yorkshire hospice, Overgate Hospice. The team had acted for the family of Douglas Zipfel, a father-of-five from Bradford, who passed away from mesothelioma just four months after being diagnosed with the asbestos-related illness.

Commenting on the team’s record of recovering hospice costs, Ian said: 

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“Hospices play a hugely important role in many communities and we are delighted that we have been able to give back to the vital organisations that care for those who are most in need of it.

“It is an unfortunate truth that many people do not understand the specifics related to the funding of such services, with many hospices being heavily reliant on donations and fundraising efforts by local groups.

“However, by looking to reclaim the cost of care in a legal claim, families are able to give back and say thank you to an organisation which has provided fundamental support to their loved ones at an incredibly difficult time.” Ian Toft - Partner & Head of Asbestos and Occupational Disease (North)

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in asbestos-related disease cases.