Industrial Diseases
Make an Industrial Disease Claim
At ASD, our solicitors are highly experienced in dealing with a range of industrial diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma which are caused by exposure to asbestos.
Make a Claim
People can be exposed to a range of harmful substances in the workplace, many of which can cause debilitating illnesses or even death.
Sadly, once asbestosis or mesothelioma has been detected the outlook is usually poor. Mesothelioma patients in particular are usually given a life expectancy of only a year after the disease has been diagnosed. ASD’s solicitors have worked with family members to make successful claims after their loved one has passed away from an industrial disease such as mesothelioma.
Asbestos Claims
Asbestos exposure can be life-altering, causing chronic lung diseases like Asbestosis. If you or someone you know has been affected by time spent working around asbestos, you may be able to make a claim.
Click the link below to learn more about Asbestos Claims and how we can support your claim.
Mesothelioma Compensation Claims
Mesothelioma is a cancer which affects the mesothelial cells found in the lining that covers the organs of the body. The most common area of the body to be affected by mesothelioma is the lungs, however the cancer can also develop in the lining of the abdomen. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain. In 2012 around 2,400 people died from mesothelioma in the UK.* If you require legal support for a claim, click our button below to learn more about the help we provide.
Additional Conditions Caused by Asbestos Exposure:
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease refers to a number of diseases relating to the lungs including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive airways disease. Symptoms include chest infections, a phlegmy cough and shortness of breath, particularly with exercise. The main cause of COPD is smoking but it can also be caused by exposure to asbestos or certain chemicals.
Can we help? For specialist and free advice call 0800 163 622
Lung Cancer
Asbestos exposure can result in the development of lung cancer. Previous smoking, together with previous exposure to asbestos, can result in an increased chance of development of lung cancer. The symptoms of lung cancer, which are commonly understood by the general population, include cough, breathlessness, blood in the sputum, weight loss and chest pain etc.
Can we help? For specialist and free advice call 0800 163 622
Occupational Asthma
There are many substances which people can be exposed to in the industrial workplace which could cause occupational asthma including dust from flour, grain, wood, rubber and from animals and insects. Occupational asthma causes symptoms of asthma such as wheezing, shortness of breath and frequent coughing, and long term exposure can lead to a person developing severe chronic asthma.
Can we help? For specialist and free advice call 0800 163 622
Pleural Effusion
Pleural Effusion happens when excess liquid builds up in between the two pleura membranes which cover the lungs. Pleural Effusion, associated with asbestos exposure and asbestos related disease, can be an indicator for the development of Mesothelioma.
Can we help? For specialist and free advice call 0800 163 622
Pleural Plaques
Pleural Plaques are a benign disease of the pleura (the lining around the lung). Pleural Plaques can usually be identified on x-ray and typically develops some 20 years or so after exposure to asbestos fibres. Pleural Plaques are no longer an actionable asbestos related disease and as such, following the House of Lords Judgement in Johnston v NEI Combustion, the claim can no longer be made for asymptomatic Pleural Plaques. Pleural Plaques are evidence of large asbestos exposure earlier in the patient’s life.
Can we help? For specialist and free advice call 0800 163 622
Pleural Thickening
Pleural Thickening (calcified Pleural Thickening) is usually identified by a CT scan. Again, as with Pleural Plaques, it is typically 20 years or more before Pleural Thickening symptoms become evident. Such symptoms often are shortness of breath, breathlessness and chest pain. Pleural Thickening can progress given increased symptoms and can develop into other forms of asbestos related diseases. Pleural Thickening is not just caused by asbestos exposure.
Can we help? For specialist and free advice call 0800 163 622
Pneumoconiosis
Pneumoconiosis is a lung disease caused by exposure to dust, including dust from coal mines, textile fibres in factories or from asbestos exposure. Pneumoconiosis causes scarring on the lungs and symptoms include difficulty breathing, a persistent cough and phlegm.
Can we help? For specialist and free advice call 0800 163 622
Silicosis
Silicosis is caused by the inhalation of silica dust, a substance found in certain rocks, sand, clay and stones and can affect people who work in construction, mining, pottery and sand blasting, as well as other occupations which involve dusty atmospheres. The silica causes scarring and inflammation in the lungs which means people suffering from the disease experience coughing, shortness of breath and may have a skin bluish tone.
Can we help? For specialist and free advice call 0800 163 622
Featured Guide
Guide To Making An Industrial Disease Claim
The process of making a claim for industrial disease is slightly different than for other claims, such as an accident at work.
Our Personal Injury Services
Ralph Clark
Solicitor/Partner
Personal Injury Litigation / Serious Injury Cases /Major Trauma
0114 2678780
Year of call as a solicitor 2007.
Ralph joined the firm in 2003 and became Managing Partner in 2018.
Ralph’s background is in health and safety. He graduated with a degree in Environmental Health in 1998 before qualifying as an Environment Health Officer. He then specialised in the enforcement of health and safety and accident investigation within premises in Sheffield. He completed a post graduate diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management, before then undertaking a post graduate diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course, qualifying as a Solicitor in 2007.
Over the years Ralph has developed a case load primarily of high value catastrophic injury cases arising from major trauma and diseases; spanning brain injuries, amputations and life changing injuries and diseases. He also assists Children who have suffered serious injury through the partnership between the MTSP and the Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to get a medical examination?
In most cases, yes, so an independent medical expert can assess your health problems and the impact on your life.
I don’t know if my illness or injury was caused by my work or whether I would have got it anyway. How do I know or how can you prove it?
You may not know, but if you have health problems and you think they have been caused by your job or work conditions, then seek medical attention and contact us as soon as possible.
The employer that caused my illness or injury has ceased trading or gone out of business. Can I still claim?
Yes, we can trace them on your behalf. It doesn’t matter whether they are still trading or have gone out of business.
I don’t work for the employer that caused my injury any more. Does that matter?
No, you can still pursue a personal injury compensation claim against a previous employer.
What does the ‘date of knowledge’ mean for industrial disease?
The date of knowledge means the time you started to experience symptoms of your illness or injury, or when you thought that perhaps your employment had been the cause of your ill health. For more information on the date of knowledge and whether the time limit has already started to run, read Industrial Disease: You Might Have More Than 3 Years Since Employment To Claim.
Making a Claim
- Complete the online form
A Solicitor will call you back the same day. If we believe we can assist we will arrange an immediate home visit. - Call us and speak to a Solicitor
Give us a call; if we believe we can assist we will arrange an immediate home visit. - Email one of our Solicitors
If you would like to get in touch with our solicitors directly, visit the contact page to find out more - Visit us at our Sheffield office
Visit anytime between 9.30am and 4.00pm. We guarantee you will be able to see a Solicitor face to face even without an appointment.
Want to know more about what will happen next? Read our step-by-step guide to making a claim. If you have any questions, please contact us on 0800 163 622.
Complete Online Form
Complete the online form below, and we will call you back the same day. If we believe we can assist we will arrange an immediate home visit