Getting justice and support following asbestos exposure
Asbestos-related diseases are a sad reality that many families have to face up to. Although asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1999, it can still be found in buildings to this day and was widely used for many decades prior to this.
Combined with the fact that asbestos-related diseases don't necessarily show symptoms until years after exposure, it is an ongoing problem, but those affected may be able to bring a legal claim to recover compensation.
Ruth Craven is a senior solicitor who has specialised in asbestos-related disease claims since 2016. Having moved to Lincolnshire to join legal firm Wilkin Chapman, she’s passionate about helping people in the region who were exposed to the material to seek justice.
Previously working along the south coast, Ruth worked for a national firm specialising solely in asbestos-related disease claims and she knows the devastating impact that these diseases can have.
Ruth explains: “Sadly I am very familiar with the consequences of an asbestos-related diagnosis, and the toll this takes on both patients and their families. I aim to provide a bespoke, client centred service and will sign-post clients to non-legal services wherever appropriate.”
On the south coast a significant proportion of patients with asbestos-related conditions had come into contact with asbestos whilst working on the docks, refineries and factories. Here, many were exposed to the material in a wide range of settings including agricultural premises, building sites, and even schools.
Ruth said: “Clients and their families often say to me ‘but no one knew the dangers of asbestos back then’, however in reality the dangers of asbestos have been known for many decades. Even in the 1960s and 1970s employers had a duty of care to protect their workforce against the dangers of asbestos.”
Asbestos can cause various diseases such as asbestosis, pleural thickening, mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. Due to the protracted latency period, asbestos-related illnesses do not develop until many years after the exposure.
“Home visits are often a helpful way of making the legal process easier, and allow me to build a relationship with my clients. Seeing a client in their home environment also allows me to properly assess their needs to ensure that all of the necessary heads of loss are included in the claim.”
At Wilkin Chapman, we always carefully assess each claim on an individual basis. For example, if a patient requires non-NHS funded treatment, we will seek to recover the cost of this. We can also claim for care, loss of a pension, aids and equipment and many other losses associated with the disease.
By bringing a legal claim the aim is to recover compensation which will allow patients and their families to cope financially with what life has in store. Patients often find it comforting, when faced with a diagnosis, to know that their loved ones will be financially secure in the future.
Contact Ruth to discuss this further.
