Asbestosis

Just heard that my Dad has been diagnosed with asbestosis – apparently he worked with small amounts of it in an engineering works in the 1980s.
Details are scant at the moment, but he’s been given some sort of inhaler/nebulizer to help him get his breath, but other than that I’m struggling to get any more details out of him – he’s a secretive stubborn old goat at the best of times!
Apparently, the hospital gave him some leaflets on claiming compensation.

Any advice/ words of wisdom to consider?
TIA

Firstly, I think, unless you’re already sure, you should confirm that it is actually asbestosis and not mesothelioma. I think the latter is more common, and can only be contracted by asbestos exposure, sometimes only by a small exposure.

Many people (especially if your dad is elderly and reticent) confuse it with asbestosis.

And whichever it is, sue the bastards. There was a recent test case which places the liability at the point of exposure rather than at the point of diagnosis. Keenly fought by insurance companies shirking responsibility…surprise surprise.

Guess who did an Asbestos Awareness Course recently. 🙂 Hopefully, a legalist will be along to advise.

Apologies for multiple edits.

Quite a few companies that will pursue a claim, but some fail as the comapny he worked for did not have correct insurance etc, also members of the family may need to be checked as quite a few wives have been found to be suffering due to washing clothes used for work, and contaminated with the dust.

Asbestosis is a fibrotic chronic lung disease where the function/capacity of the lung is reduced through prolonged exposure and retention of asbestos.

Mesothelioma is a very specific cancer normal occurring in the chest cavity (usually) resulting from asbestos exposure.

If your dad was a smoker this significantly increases the likelihood of other asbestos related cancers as well.

asbestosis can lead to an increased risk of going on to develop Mesothelioma, but it’s not a definite.

Have a look on the HSE website they have some very useful information.

Definitely clarify the diagnosis. Asbestosis and mesothelioma are very different and true asbestosis is rare to occur nowadays.

The HSE website is a brilliant source of information to help understand the basics.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/dangerous.htm

DO NOT accept settlement payment of any sort until you have received all the legal advice possible and you know the ins- and outs- of all options.

Hi Geoff, my old man had mesothelioma…. it’s really important that you clarify the diagnosis (as others have said).

We dealt with two companies in claiming compensation – the first were a bunch of charlatans (there are so many companies offering to represent you online – be very very careful) but the second one was brilliant. I will look-out the names of the brilliant ones for you.

My other advice is more frank…. I don’t think the forum is the best place for it. My email is in my profile, please get in touch and I’ll answer your questions if I can.

At this stage, he may not want to talk about it – Dads are like that with health stuff 😕

My father passed on after meso.We won a compensatiion claim.Regular High street firms usually have a specialist in the field.He can also get alot of extra Benefits due to the illness. Help with altering his accommodation is also out there.He needs a good chat about support with his Doctor. Good luck.

Hi there, just thought I’d try and help out with some advice. As well as a fellow mountain biker, in my ‘spare’ time I’m a Solicitor specializing in asbestos related claims. I would definitely recommend finding out as much information as possible about the diagnosis. It really can vary, with confusion between pleural plaques, pleural thickening, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Claims for pleural plaques cannot be brought in England & Wales as they are not normally symptomatic and are not considered ‘serious’ enough for compensation, however claims for the other illnesses can be brought.

Your Dad may also be entitled to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit from the State and a lump sum payment under the Workers Compensation Act 1979. These benefits application forms can be obtained from your local Job Centre Plus. Payments from these will be much quicker than from a Civil Claim which is likely to take a little longer.

It would be worthwhile having a general chat with your Dad to see if he can remember where he was exposed to asbestos? Who was he working for, what type of job was he doing? If he didn’t have direct contact with asbestos did he work alongside laggers or fitters for example who were using it, mixing it etc?

It can often be a surprise to learn of a diagnosis and it can be a real concern for victims and their families. The best advice I would give you is to get in touch with your local Asbestos Victims Support Group. They will offer guidance and support from people who have gone through a similar situation. They often have a number of ‘preferred’ Solicitors who are expert in this area and you can be reassured will help you with your claim.

Our local support group is in Cheshire http://www.cavsg.co.uk/diseases.htm Their website hasn’t been updated recently but there is a fair amount of useful info on it.

I don’t want to sound like I’m touting for business here, but just thought I could help out. Let me know if you want anymore info?

Wow! Thanks for all the replies. I’ll have a read, a think and may be back in touch with some of you after I’ve had a chance to clarify some of the facts.

Anna Burns wins for the most comprehensive and informative response…

I lost my Dad 5 years ago to mesothelioma. It was just 8 months between me and him crawling around repairing the conservatory roof to the end…
Sorry I can’t be much more help than that.

My Dad didn’t ever work directly with asbestos. He was a pipefitter in the breweries, and came along after the lagging had been removed. The fibres would obviously still be in the air.

@Project AFAIK even if the company he worked for didn’t have the correct insurance, if they have subsequently be bought out, the buying company has also bought the liabilities which their insurance must cover.

geoffj – Member

Just heard that my Dad has been diagnosed with asbestosis – apparently he worked with small amounts of it in an engineering works in the 1980s.
Very sorry to hear that, I hate to say it but I worked with quite significant amounts of it in the 80’s & 90’s and its something I have a horrible feeling will come back to haunt me 🙁

After doing my NEBOSH qualifications I understood a fair bit about what I had been working with and the effects of mesothelioma.

You,ll need him to contact any old mates who worked with him.Any suffering from exposure to Asbestos would be even better.

Same experiences here , my dad worked in the shipyards and was exposed to it there. He had Meso and we had a successful claim which has helped my mum out financially. From diagnosis to death for him was 8 months although to be fair he pretty much decided that he had enough – sorry to tell you that bit and I hope your news is more positive.

I am a lawyer too – you defo need some one who knows what they are talking about. In my opinion Anna Burns knows her stuff from her post on here so you should contact her for advice as soon as you can.