The UK and other developed countries are sitting on the verge of an asbestos disease epidemic, warn doctors in the British Medical Journal. Senior professionals predict the peak of asbestos disease will occur between 2015 and 2020, claiming over 100,000 lives. Statistics show that there has been a steady increase in asbestos related deaths, with mesothelioma alone killing 2,535 people in 2012.

A further study revealed that men were the worst affected by the disease, with 2126 males dying from asbestos related illnesses in 2012 comparison to 409 females. It is believed the majority of the exposure occurred to those working in high risk industrial occupations during the 1950’s up until the toxic substance was finally banned in 1983.

Unfortunately due to the nature of the disease, which typically takes between 20 to 50 years to display obvious symptoms, many individuals are unaware they have been exposed to asbestos until the illness has reached an advanced stage. This accounts for the disease’s alarming high fatality rate, with asbestos related illnesses being notoriously difficult to treat successfully.

Highlighting the cause for concern, senior medical professionals at Guy’s Hospital London stated: “Many countries are seeing the rising tide of an epidemic, and all doctors need to know how to recognise and diagnose this disease and what treatments are available.”

Asbestos claims can be highly complex due to the weight of evidence required and the time leg between exposure and claims; which can often make tracing witnesses more difficult that in other personal injury cases. However individuals who have been affected by asbestos should not be discouraged from pursuing a claim.

It is vital to remember that all employers are required, by law, to take out Employers Liability Insurance so your claim, in almost every event, will be dealt with by the Insurers. Therefore, if successful it will be them that compensates you, not your Employer directly. Even where employers are no longer in business, it can still be possible to pursue an asbestos claim.

Contacting a solicitor who is a specialist in handling asbestos cases will make pursuing a claim as simple and easy as possible, as their expert knowledge will allow them to successfully negotiate a settlement tailored to the individual’s needs.

Here at Farleys we realised that the initial thought of pursing a claim can appear daunting, which is why our experienced solicitors are on hand to guide you through the entirety of the process. To speak to a specialist lawyer contact our asbestos lawyers now on 0845 050 1958, alternatively please email us.

For further information regarding asbestos related diseases please see the following: Mesothelioma claims, Pneumoconiosis claims.