What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Our solicitors understand that this condition will have a huge effect on your life and the lives of those close to you. If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, our lawyers could help you claim compensation.

The condition most commonly affects the lining of the lung (pleura), but mesothelioma can develop in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) and the heart (pericardium).

Can I Claim Mesothelioma Compensation?

Many of our clients have developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos at work decades previously, so you can trust our experience to investigate your employment history and track down those responsible for your illness. We can also help you make a claim through the Government’s Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme if you’re unable to find the employer responsible for your condition.

How Much Mesothelioma Compensation Can I Claim?

Mesothelioma compensation amounts can vary, but we take into account a number of factors when calculating your claim. We'll look at the impact of the illness on your life, as well as your loss of income and any care costs. You may also be able to make a claim for 'dependency' if a loved one - someone you were financially dependent on - has passed away from mesothelioma.

Are There Time Limits For Making A Mesothelioma Claim?

You’ll normally have three years to make a claim from the date you were diagnosed with mesothelioma. If you want to claim on behalf of a loved one who has sadly died because of mesothelioma, 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.

Why Choose Irwin Mitchell?

We’ve helped many people with mesothelioma claims after a diagnosis of the asbestos-related disease – we’re very familiar with the symptoms of mesothelioma and the issues you’ll be facing with your loved ones.

We also understand all the legal ramifications for someone with this debilitating disease and how we can help you access much-needed compensation. Our solicitors will work hard to make sure your quality of life is the best it can be, and that your family’s financial future is secure.

Can I Make A No Win No Fee Claim?

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 – by law, part of your compensation award must go towards our legal fees.

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

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 will help you make a claim against your present or past employer.

Handled landmark asbestos cases in the High Court

No Win, No Fee*

UK's largest team of asbestos solicitors

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Mesothelioma Claims - More Information

- 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 should 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 ongoing.
  
  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 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 ongoing 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, so we’ll make sure your compensation takes this into account. It 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 developed 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 inquest
  - Getting you the answers and apology 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.
  
  Our lawyers could also help you access a statutory bereavement award: a flat rate of £12,980 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.
- Meet Our Specialist Mesothelioma Solicitors
- 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), in Armley.
  
  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

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