Pleural Thickening Claims

Pleural Thickening Claims

Duncan Lewis Industrial Claims Solicitors – No win no fee Pleural Thickening Claims

Pleural thickening is a serious lung condition affecting the protective membrane surrounding the lung – the pleura.

Pleural thickening is not the same as pleural plaques – which are calcified lesions which grow in the pleura, usually as a result of exposure to asbestos.

Pleural thickening – also known as diffuse pleural thickening – can result when fine particles of hazardous materials like asbestos are inhaled or ingested and lodge in the pleura, causing thickening. The outer membrane of the lungs gradually grows harder, making it increasingly difficult for the lungs to expand and contract – in severe cases, respiratory failure and death may occur.

The symptoms of pleural thickening include breathlessness, chest pain, coughing and wheezing.

Pleural thickening can only be cured with a lung transplant and for many workers diagnosed with pleural thickening, quality of life can be diminished.

Pleural thickening – like pleural plaques, asbestosis and mesothelioma – may take decades to develop after exposure to asbestos and some workers may not even be aware that they were at risk in the workplace when they were exposed to asbestos.

The dangers of exposure to asbestos in the workplace have only been realised in the last 20 years, meaning many workers may have been exposed to asbestos at the start of their careers. Because of this, claims for pleural thickening may involve tracing a previous employer or their insurer in order to make a compensation claim.

Duncan Lewis industrial claims solicitors can advise workers who have been diagnosed with pleural thickening as a result of asbestos in the workplace and/or employer negligence on how to make a no win no fee pleural thickening compensation claim.

Making a Claim for Pleural Thickening

Workers who have been diagnosed with work-related pleural thickening have three years from the date of diagnosis in which to make a no win no fee compensation claim, if an employer has failed to protect a worker from developing pleural thickening – or has failed to advise a worker of the risks of asbestos under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002.

Because pleural thickening can take years to develop, Duncan Lewis industrial claims solicitors can help with tracing the insurers of a former employer using the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office (ELTO) and records held at Companies House. Even if an employer is no longer in business or a company was taken over a former employer’s business, it is still possible to trace the Employers' Liability (EL) insurer to make a claim for pleural thickening compensation.

Duncan Lewis can also advise bereaved families whose loved one has lost their life as a result of pleural thickening – or was diagnosed at post-mortem with pleural thickening after exposure to asbestos at work – on how to make a no win no fee compensation claim.

Duncan Lewis Industrial Claims Solicitors – No win no fee Pleural Thickening Compensation Claims

Duncan Lewis industrial claims solicitors are leading firm of no win no fee lawyers and can advise victims of industrial diseases and their families on how to make pleural thickening compensation claims – including cases where a disease or degenerative condition caused by exposure to asbestos at work has been diagnosed years later.

Duncan Lewis industrial claims solicitors employ medical experts in industrial diseases if it is necessary to prove a link between a claimant’s employment and later being diagnosed with pleural thickening caused by exposure to asbestos in the workplace.

Because of the limitation period for making claims for work-related pleural thickening, Duncan Lewis industrial claims solicitors advise claimants to get in touch as soon as possible after diagnosis of pleural thickening to discuss making a compensation claim.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Pleural Thickening Compensation Claims call Duncan Lewis Industrial Claims Solicitors on 020 7923 4020.