Asbestos: past, but present

Asbestos has left a devastating legacy – it is the greatest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK.

Employers and insurance companies want to consign their track-record of exposing workers – and those around them – to the history books. But at Thompsons, we know that for thousands of families every year, forgetting about asbestos is not an option.

A lasting legacy

Despite being banned over 20 years ago in the UK, asbestos materials are responsible for thousands of serious illnesses and deaths every year.

Many buildings including factories, schools, hospitals, and council buildings that were built before 1980 in the UK had asbestos used in their construction. Every day, local authority workers, construction workers, children, teachers, nurses, and doctors are at risk of exposure to asbestos if it isn’t identified and contained properly, and that in turn means a risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. 

The use of asbestos may be a thing of the past, but its consequences are being felt in the present by those directly affected by diseases like mesothelioma, and those who have lost loved ones prematurely as a result of past asbestos exposure.

Who is affected by asbestos?

Asbestos is most often associated with tradespeople, shipbuilders, railway carriage builders, and those in other manual labour roles, such as power station construction. It particularly affects those who worked in those industries before 1999 when the ban was introduced.

However, asbestos exposure is not just limited to the workers themselves. Every year, we help family members of those who worked with asbestos, who have contracted an asbestos-related disease as a result of secondary exposure when asbestos dust fibres have been brought back into the home on the worker’s clothes.

In some cases, we’ve supported clients who have developed asbestos diseases as a result of childhood exposure from living and playing near factories where asbestos was being manufactured.

Fighting for victims

We have unrivalled experience and expertise in asbestos claims, which means our lawyers naturally understand the traumatising effect that an asbestos disease diagnosis can have for sufferers and their loved ones.

In 1972, we brought about the first-ever successful asbestos disease case in the UK to the House of Lords. Since this landmark ruling, we have been involved in every significant asbestos test case. It’s second nature to us to trace the insurers of companies that have long-since gone out of business, or have been incorporated under different names, to bring a claim years after exposure. 

Our specialist team also holds the UK’s largest asbestos register allowing people to record when and where they were exposed. This gives us unique insight into asbestos exposure locations and an unmatched resource of potential witnesses to help support any claims.