Asbestos Compensation Claims

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, our solicitors can help. Our expert team has over 30 years’ experience and has worked on landmark asbestos claims in the Supreme Court.

We can help you make a No Win No Fee* compensation claim, to give you peace of mind and ensure you have the right care in place. If you’ve lost a loved one to an asbestos-related disease, we can also help you make a claim on their behalf.

What Diseases Does Asbestos Cause?

Exposure to asbestos can cause a range of illnesses, including:

As the UK’s largest team of asbestos solicitors, we have experience helping people claim compensation for all of these illnesses.

Can I Make An Asbestos Compensation Claim?

If you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease in the last three years you could be able to claim. We can also help you make a claim on behalf of a loved one who has already died from an asbestos-related disease, or continue their claim if they die while it is ongoing.

If you’ve previously made a claim and your condition has since worsened, we may also be able to help.

Who Is At Risk From Asbestos Exposure?

People who have worked in industries where asbestos was heavily used are more at risk from asbestos exposure. These industries may include construction, plumbing and shipbuilding.

However, we’ve also helped people who have been exposed because of:

Working in a building with asbestos (such as schools and hospitals)
Secondary exposure – i.e. washing a partner’s overalls
“Environmental” exposure (such as growing up near an asbestos factory)

Why Choose Irwin Mitchell?

We have the largest team of asbestos solicitors in the UK and we’ve won several landmark victories that have led to significant changes in the law. These include:

The first ever successful case of environmental exposure in 1995
The first settlement including hospice costs as well as compensation
Securing deferred payment orders to cover future treatments, including those that hadn’t yet been developed
We represented June Hancock in the first ever environmental asbestos case, securing her the highest ever award for an industrial disease case at the time
We were involved in a landmark case at the Supreme Court in 2012, which meant that insurers could be held responsible for asbestos exposure that happened many years earlier

Are There Time Limits For Making An Asbestos Claim?

You usually have three years from the time you were diagnosed to make an asbestos claim. If a loved one has died from an asbestos-related disease, you have three years from when you found out that asbestos was the cause.

Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop, so it doesn’t matter how long ago the asbestos exposure took place. We can help you even if:

Your former employer has since ceased trading
You’re not sure when you were exposed
You didn’t work for the company you believe is responsible

Our solicitors have extensive experience in investigating these claims and recovering compensation from those responsible.

How Much Compensation Can You Claim For An Asbestos Related Disease?

How much you can claim for asbestos related disease will depend on a few different things. Your personal circumstances will be taken into account – for example, how it’s affected your quality of life – as well as the type of disease you’ve developed.

If your spouse, long-term partner or parent died from an asbestos related illness, you may be able to claim as a ‘dependent’ to account for their loss of income.

No Win No Fee Asbestos Claims

A No Win No Fee agreement means that you don’t have to pay any upfront fees when you make an asbestos claim.* And if your claim doesn’t succeed, you won’t have to pay anything at all.

What happens if your claim does succeed depends on what type of claim you make:

For mesothelioma claims – you keep 100% of your compensation.
For asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, pleural thickening, and pleural plaque claims – we don't ask you to make any contribution to your legal costs but you will need to pay the litigation insurance premium from your compensation if you win the case.

This is because in 2012, the UK government decided that mesothelioma is so serious that the normal No Win No Fee rules shouldn’t apply.

Contact us

Call us today on 0800 056 4110 or use our online enquiry form and we’ll call you back. Your first consultation is free and there’s no obligation to continue.

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Adrian Budgen Partner Meet Our Asbestos Claims Team

Asbestos Compensation Claims - More Information

The money has allowed me not to worry if I need to pay someone to help out. It was settled out of court… but at least it was some form of recognition. Clive would have been pleased with that."

Sue, client

Ron’s Story

“I think Ron’s an absolute inspiration. His motivation and determination are something else. I’ve never known anybody like him.’’ - Emma Bell, Senior Associate Solicitor

“Everything just went so smoothly, I couldn’t believe how well it went at the time. When I picked Irwin Mitchell, I knew I’d picked the best for me.’’ - Ron, our client

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Time Limits For Making An Asbestos Claim?

You normally have three years to start your claim, from the date that:

You were diagnosed with an asbestos related illness
You found out that your loved one’s death was caused by an asbestos related illness

Importantly, the time limit is not from when you or your loved one was first exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos-related diseases can take 20-60 years to develop, so it’s often the case that you won’t be working at the same company where you were exposed. It may also be the case that the company has ceased trading or changed names.

However, you may be able to make a claim even if:

You are unsure when and where you were exposed to asbestos
It has been many years (even several decades) since you were exposed
Your former employer has ceased trading
You didn’t work for the company you believe is responsible
You have previously claimed but your condition has worsened (for instance, you may have claimed compensation for pleural thickening, but you have now developed a more serious condition such as mesothelioma)
Your loved one had started legal proceedings but died before the claim was settled. In this instance you might be able to continue with their claim. You’ll normally have to do this within three years of their death

If you have any questions around whether you can claim, please call us on 0800 056 4110 or contact us online. We offer a free initial consultation about your case with one of our specialist team.

How Much Compensation Can You Claim?

The amount of compensation you could claim will depend on your personal circumstances, as well as the type of asbestos related disease you have developed.

Asbestos compensation is calculated taking into account:

The severity of your illness
How it’s affected your quality of life
Loss of income - now and in the future
Care costs

If your loved one died from an asbestos related illness, it is possible to claim for “dependency” on their income. The following people could claim as dependents:

Widows or widowers
A partner who lived with the deceased for two or more years
Children who were financially dependent on the deceased

Our asbestos lawyers are experienced in calculating compensation amounts that reflect your needs, both now and in the future. Please call us 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation about your claim, or contact us online.

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