APIL calls for parity between asbestos related lung cancer and mesothelioma claims
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has issued statements to the press in areas traditionally associated with high numbers of workers affected by asbestos related cancers calling for fairer treatment of those suffering asbestos related lung cancer.
It is raising awareness of the disparity in the treatment of employees who contract asbestos related lung cancer through the negligence of their former employers when it comes to claiming compensation.
Currently, those diagnosed with lung cancer contracted following exposure to asbestos dust must identify every one of their former employers who may have put them at risk to begin a claim against the insurers of the company. In contrast, people diagnosed with mesothelioma only need to identify one former employer to begin a claim.
Mesothelioma and asbestos related lung cancer are very similar diseases and often it is a matter of chance which diagnosis a doctor offers.
The APIL press releases have been issued in the north-east, Medway in Kent, Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, the south including Plymouth, and West Dunbartonshire in Scotland, all areas linked to industries including ship building that previously used materials containing asbestos before it was banned and all associated with high numbers of mesothelioma cases.
According to APIL, however, mesothelioma figures do not tell the whole story since they do not include asbestos-related lung cancer, which is just as prevalent as mesothelioma and is also caused by exposure to asbestos at work.
If you have been affected by exposure to asbestos, please call our industrial disease specialist lawyers to discuss a possible claim.