Asbestos Compensation Solicitors - No Win, No Fee Claims

What asbestos related diseases can I claim compensation for?
What level of compensation can I expect to receive for an asbestos related condition?
How long will my asbestos related illness claim take?
How can the costs of my asbestos related claim be covered?
Why should I choose Pannone to act for me?

What asbestos related diseases can I claim compensation for?
There are five conditions which are commonly associated with asbestos exposure although at the present time, it is only possible to claim compensation for Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, Asbestosis and Pleural Thickening in the UK courts.

Mesothelioma - A cancer of the lining of the lung or the peritoneum. Mesothelioma is rare but has been shown to be caused by even small exposures to asbestos dust. For more information please visit mesothelioma compensation claims.

Lung Cancer - Heavy exposure to asbestos dust is known to increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Doctors will accept that lung cancer has been caused by asbestos exposure if it can be shown that the person suffering from lung cancer already has asbestosis or has been exposed to enough asbestos dust to cause asbestosis.

Asbestosis - This is a severe form of scarring of the lungs and can only be caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos dust.

Pleural Thickening - A type of scarring of the lining of the lung which is less serious than asbestosis but can in some cases cause significant breath difficulty.

Pleural plaques are scars which form in the area around the lung and are usually symptomless. Although pleural plaques are associated with asbestos inhalation, a recent decision in the House of Lords ruled that compensation cannot be claimed for this condition.

What level of compensation can I expect to receive for an asbestos related condition?
If your asbestos compensation claim is successful, you will receive compensation for pain and suffering relating to your illness. The courts have recently set the following guidelines for asbestos related illnesses to provide an idea of the level of compensation you might expect to receive depending upon your particular circumstances:

In addition to this, you may also be entitled to claim for other financial losses or expenses including loss of earnings, future loss of earnings, loss of pension entitlement, past and future private treatment fees, medication costs, care costs, aids and appliances and travelling expenses.

If you are the dependant of someone who has died from an asbestos related disease, you may be able to claim compensation for bereavement damages (currently set at £10,000), funeral expenses and financial dependency on the person who has died.

You may also be entitled to state benefits such as Industrial Injuries disablement benefit; attendance allowance; or a lump sum payment from the government under the Workers Compensation Act Scheme.

How long will my asbestos related illness claim take?
In cases of mesothelioma and lung cancer we do our utmost to get the case finished as quickly as possible. We take every step necessary to gather the evidence as quickly as we can and present it to the other side. It is our aim to get the case completed within 6-12 months of being instructed.

Whilst it is our goal to complete all asbestos claims speedily, claims for other asbestos related illnesses typically take longer than mesothelioma and lung cancer cases. Our normal timescale for completing a case from beginning to end is 12 to 24 months, depending on the complexity of the case. Cases can often be finished more quickly than this, but occasionally a claim may take longer if it has complications, such as identifying the insurers or where the asbestos exposure took place.

How can the costs of my asbestos related claim be covered?
At Pannone we try our hardest to fight your compensation claim without you having to pay anything up front. There are a number of ways in which we might achieve this.

"No Win, No Fee" agreement - We will consider entering into a conditional fee (No win, No fee) agreement with you at no cost. This means that, if your claim were unsuccessful, you would pay nothing towards the cost of your claim and we would not be paid for our work. However, if your claim was successful we would recover most, if not all, of our expenses from the other side on top of your compensation.

Legal Expense Insurance - You may have cover under your insurances that will meet the costs of pursuing a claim.

Membership legal assistance - If you are a member of a Trade Union, a membership organisation or a friendly society, one of the benefits of membership may be support for legal costs.

Should none of these options be available to you, you might consider funding the claim yourself. Pannone solicitors offer a free initial no obligation consultation to all potential clients. This can take place either at our offices or in appropriate cases, at your home. In this initial interview we seek to advise you whether or not your claim is worth pursuing. If it is not possible to determine this at the first interview, then we will take steps to obtain further information with a view to giving you advice on whether or not a claim can be pursued as quickly as possible. We will also advise you on the various insurance options available to protect you from having to pay the other side's costs if the claim is unsuccessful.

Why should I choose Pannone to act for me?
Pannone LLP specialise in asbestos compensation claims in the UK. We have specialist asbestos compensation claim solicitors and litigation lawyers within our industrial disease department who have many years' experience getting the maximum compensation as quickly as possible for thousands of sufferers.

Mrs. Robinson of Harrogate said: "I was really unsure about making a claim at first as I thought it would be a lot of stress, but thanks to you taking everything off my shoulders it hasn't been".

We belong to the Law Society Personal Injury Panel and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, as well as being members of the solicitors' panels of Greater Manchester Asbestos Victims Support Group, Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group, Cheshire Asbestos Victims Support Group, the Sheffield & Rotherham Asbestos Victims Support Group and the Barrow Asbestos support group.

Pannone's team of specialist asbestos claim solicitors can help you get the compensation you deserve.

For a free initial consultation and to find out if you can claim compensation on a no win no fee basis, call our Asbestos Solicitors today on 0800 0384 384 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.