What Will Happen When I Make A Claim?
After you’ve contacted us about your claim we’ll arrange a meeting as soon as possible to find out more about your situation. We can also set up home visits or meet you at a location that’s more convenient for you.
If we can take on your case, we’ll discuss what funding options are available to you to pay for your claim, including No Win No Fee agreements *.
We’ll start investigating your case as soon as possible, finding out where you could have been exposed to asbestos, even if you’re unsure. Due to the nature of asbestos related diseases, it’s likely that your exposure happened decades ago: however, our specialist team are experts in determining where you were exposed, no matter how long ago it was. Our investigations will also help us calculate how much compensation we feel you are likely to receive.
Using this evidence, we’ll be able to determine who was at fault for your exposure and will contact the company and/or their insurer.
If they accept that they’re responsible for your exposure and subsequent illness, we could help you obtain early interim payments. These can support you financially and can help to pay for any medical care you might need while your claim is on-going.
In the event that responsibility isn’t accepted, we’ll help you through the court process, explaining everything that’s happening so you feel as comfortable as possible.
Find out more about what the asbestos claims process .
How Can Compensation Help?
Our lawyers will always make sure that you receive a settlement that funds your care requirements. Compensation can help pay for:
Specialist private medical treatment
Loss of earnings
Expenses (e.g. travel costs)
We’ll always act efficiently to secure funds so your care needs can be met as soon as possible. If responsibility for your asbestos exposure is admitted by your employer, we might be able to secure you early compensation payments before your claim has fully settled. These early compensation payments are also known as interim payments and can help you pay for on-going care and expenses.
We can only calculate how much compensation you’re entitled to once we understand the full impact of your illness. The effects of asbestos exposure can develop slowly over time and can also mean that you’re more likely to develop illnesses such as mesothelioma. Your compensation will take this into account and will also consider any impact your illness has had on your quality of life and life expectancy.
Can I Make A Claim On Behalf Of A Loved One Who Has Died?
If your loved one has died because they contracted an asbestos-related illness, our lawyers could help you with:
Recovering compensation for their pain and suffering and for financial losses caused by their death
Representing you at an inquest
Getting you the answers you deserve from those responsible
You might be able to claim if you’re the spouse or child of the person who has died. We could also help you make a claim if you were financially dependent on the person who died.
There’s normally a three year time limit from the date of the death to make a claim. If a post-mortem found that your loved one died due to asbestos exposure, you’ll have three years to claim from the date where you learnt of the findings. Find out more about time limits
Our lawyers could also help you access a statutory bereavement award: a flat rate currently of £15,120 which is payable when a wrongful death has occurred. This is available if you’re the spouse, civil partner or parent (if under 18) of the person who died.
If your loved one had started legal proceedings before they died, you might be able to continue with their claim. You’ll normally have to do this within three years of the death. Find out more about continuing a claim
Can I Make A Claim If My Employer Is No Longer Trading?
You may be able to make a claim even if your former employer is no longer trading. Our lawyers can access several databases so we’ll be able to trace the company and can check whether it’s currently trading under a different name.
If your employer is no longer trading, don’t worry: compensation is normally paid by your former employer’s insurer. Even if you were exposed to asbestos decades ago, we can still help you find out who was responsible so that you can access the compensation you deserve.
How Long Do I Have To Make A Claim?
You’ll normally have three years to make a claim from the date you were diagnosed with asbestos related disease. If you want to claim on behalf of a loved one who has sadly died because of lung cancer, you’ll have three years to make a claim from the date of the death or from the point where a post-mortem revealed asbestos exposure as the cause of death.
Asbestos related diseases often take decades to develop but we could still help you make a claim. We could help you act against your former employer, even if you haven’t worked there for a long time, or if they’ve ceased trading.
We encourage you to contact us as soon as you’re diagnosed, even if you’re not sure when you were exposed to asbestos. We can help you identify at what point you were exposed and can help you make a claim against your present or past employer.
Read more on claim time limits
Can I Make A No Win No Fee Claim?
Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there’s no financial risk* to you when making a compensation claim.
At the start of your case we’ll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI) or are covered by a trade union policy, these may be best for you. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.
If we think you’re best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we’ll explain the process clearly. This involves setting up an insurance policy that will protect you, at no cost to you. You’ll only have to pay anything when your claim is successful – your opponent will pay most of our fees.
Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.
Meet The Team
Our Asbestos department is the largest and most respected in the country, and regularly praised by independent legal guides. We’re renowned for ground-breaking asbestos claims like June Hancock’s, the first environmental asbestos case (involving outdoor exposure to the dust).
We’re proud to be closely associated with charities like Mesothelioma UK and the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund. Organisations like these play a vital role in raising funds and awareness of the tragic effects of asbestos exposure.
Our asbestos solicitors are also at the forefront of the battle for greater legal rights for mesothelioma sufferers. We’ve taken a number of cases to the Supreme Court, including a landmark judgement in 2012 which meant insurers could be held responsible for asbestos exposure that had happened many years earlier.
View our team of experienced asbestos solicitors
