Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 03:47 am
In the United Kingdom, employers who used asbestos as insulation presented a phenomenal risk to the construction and construction workers’ industry that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. In the years following World War II , the country had to be rebuilt after the blitz and asbestos was an inexpensive material, readily available for use in wall cavities. It has been banned since then in the construction works because the contact with the substance proved fatal.
Unfortunately, many workers are now reaching retirement age, the true effects of this exposure are emerging, and many of them have been diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos and may result from small amounts of exposure. The wives and children of men who worked with things were also endangered by simply inhaling them from contaminated work clothes.
As the disease takes several decades to become apparent, risk was not immediate. The time it takes for mesothelioma to grow, makes it difficult for some people to claim mesothelioma compensation from their former employers. Work stories are easily lost, companies go bankrupt and often no one can sue when the time is right.
But financial uncertainty related to cancer diagnosis deserves a justified compensation for these people. That’s why the UK government has put in place the diffuse mesothelioma payment system. This allows people to claim money if they cannot find their former employer or if they do not know which employer is responsible for their illness.
Recently, a landmark case has meant that claimants no longer have to prove a certain level of asbestos exposure to make a claim. This means that women and children of workers, who previously may not have been able to apply, can benefit from this program. It also means that families can get compensation after the death of their loved one, even if they do not have all the background they may have needed before.
The compensation limit is £ 125,000 – and the rewards are mainly based on age and circumstances. Those diagnosed at a young age can claim more compensation. The situation is certainly a warning about safety in the workplace and the possibility that substances will harm years. In the coming years, we will see that the number of people diagnosed will decrease, as the use of asbestos has been banned in the United Kingdom (although many older buildings still contain it).
