One of the most worrying things about being exposed to asbestos is that you won’t necessarily show any symptoms of exposure damage until years later. There are many people alive today who would have worked in a job that meant being exposed to asbestos decades ago. If you think this could be relevant to you, you should be watching out for symptoms.
If you are already experiencing health problems and have a diagnosis, you should be able to claim compensation. Here’s how you can do it.
What are the Risks of Coming into Contact with Asbestos?
Before being banned, asbestos was used for lagging in walls, ceilings and pipes, as well as many other things. The most common disease associated with coming into contact with asbestos is asbestosis. This is caused by breathing in asbestos fibres over a long period of time. The symptoms of asbestosis include a shortness of breath, chest pains and a feeling of tightness in the chest.
There are other diseases linked to asbestos too. They include mesothelioma, lung cancer, pleural thickening and pleural plaques. All these diseases are linked to being exposed to asbestos, usually via a job.
What’s the First Step to Take?
If you are experiencing symptoms like chest pains and difficulty breathing properly, the first thing you should do is talk to a doctor. If you can then prove that you worked with asbestos as part of your employment, you should be able to claim compensation while you receive treatment.
You will probably need to talk to a lawyer and get them involved in the case if you want to be sure of success. You can do it alone, but it will be difficult if you don’t have any legal experience.
How Will a Lawyer Be Able to Help You?
A good lawyer will have experience of these kinds of asbestos related compensation cases already. So, they should know what to expect and how to plan for a successful action against the employer. There may be time limits imposed upon when you can claim so make sure you talk to a lawyer relatively quickly after your diagnosis.
The professionalism a lawyer brings to your case can help no end. Visit www.brownandcrouppen.com for information on exactly what a lawyer will do to help your case. When you’re ill, you don’t want to deal with a stressful legal case, so even if you think you could go it alone, it might be a better idea to get legal aid.
How Likely Are You to Win Compensation?
You might think it’d be difficult to establish a strong case when asbestos can take decades to cause actual damage to your health. But, in fact, there is now a consensus that those affected should be compensated correctly, even if you haven’t touched asbestos in 40 years or more.
With a good lawyer on your side and proof that you worked with asbestos in the past, there is no reason why the legal action won’t be successful. You can then cover your medical bills and make life a bit more comfortable.