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The team at Novum Law are delighted to be once again recognised as one of the best personal injury law firms in the South West by the leading, independent legal...
Finding out that you or a family member are suffering from an asbestos-related disease such as asbestosis or mesothelioma can be devastating. It is normal to be confused, upset and angry. You are likely to find yourself dealing with a number of serious consequences for your/your loved one’s health, as well as financial problems and other practical challenges.
Asbestos-related diseases are often the result of negligence on the part of an employer who did not adequately protect their employees against the risk of asbestos exposure. In such cases, you are likely to be entitled to compensation.
While compensation cannot undo the damage caused by asbestos exposure, it can help individuals and families to cope with the impact by funding the very best medical treatment and care support, as well as replacing lost income.
At Novum Law, our dedicated team of asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers in Plymouth can offer sensitive personal support during this difficult time. With strong expertise in asbestos claims, we provide an honest assessment of whether you are likely to be entitled to compensation and the level of damages that may be available.
We offer No Win No Fee funding, meaning you can make an asbestos disease compensation claim with absolutely no financial risk or hidden costs.
With strong negotiation skills, our team can typically secure maximum compensation for asbestos and mesothelioma claims through an out of court settlement. This means you are unlikely to need to go to court and can make the claims process much faster, less stressful and less costly.
There are time limits for claiming asbestos compensation, but these are counted from the date when you became aware of the issue, rather than the date exposure occurred. This means that, while you should not delay pursuing a claim, you may still be able to secure compensation even if the exposure happened many years ago.
It is also worth noting that it is often still possible to claim asbestos compensation even where the employer responsible for your exposure has gone out of business.
Book a free initial consultation with our asbestos & mesothelioma lawyers in Plymouth
If you believe you or a loved one are entitled to compensation for an asbestos-related disease, our personal injury lawyers in Plymouth are here for you.
We also have offices in Bristol, Cardiff, the Isle of Wight, Salisbury, Southampton and Swindon, allowing us to offer a convenient local service to clients further afield.
To begin your claim, contact us on 01752 964 683 or online for a free, no obligation chat.
Our expertise with all types of asbestos-related disease claims
Our expertise includes the full range of asbestos-related illnesses including:
- Mesothelioma compensation claims
- Asbestos-related lung cancer claims
- Asbestosis compensation claims
- Pleural thickening claims
- Inquests After Fatal Asbestos Disease
Our experienced asbestos lawyers have helped people from all walks of life that have been exposed to asbestos at dockyards, power stations, shipyards, construction sites, railways, engineering sites, offices, houses, public buildings, hospitals, schools and colleges.
To find out more about team’s expertise, please take a look at the individual profiles for our asbestos-related disease specialists:
Additional support for people living with asbestos-related diseases
We can provide information and advice on government compensation schemes such as the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Schemes 2008 and 2014, the Pneumoconiosis Workers Compensation Act 1979, as well as help with other state benefits for asbestos disease patients.
Our industrial disease compensation lawyers also have strong links with support groups that help people and their families who’ve been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases offering information, advice and friendship including Mesothelioma UK and SWASAG.
How we handle asbestos-related disease claims in Plymouth
Free initial consultation
We offer a free first meeting with one of our specialist asbestos lawyers to discuss the details of your claim. This can be by video or phone, or we can work via email if you prefer.
We will talk through your illness, when you believe you were exposed to asbestos and the impact on your life. We will then explain whether we think you may have grounds to a claim, how the claims process works and the next steps you need to take.
No Win No Fee asbestos and mesothelioma claims funding
All of our asbestos and mesothelioma claims are funded using Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs), often referred to as ‘No Win No Fee’ funding.
With No Win No Fee funding, we take on your claim with no upfront costs and you will only need to pay our fees if we secure compensation for you. This means there is no financial risk to you in starting a claim.
Find out more about No Win No Fee funding.
Determining whether you are owed compensation for an asbestos-related disease
We will first need to prove that your disease was caused by asbestos exposure that happened due to someone else’s negligence (e.g. your employer failing to carry out proper risk assessments or provide appropriate PPE).
Our asbestos lawyers in Plymouth will ensure all of the right evidence is collected, giving you a strong foundation for your claim.
Valuing your asbestos-related disease compensation claim
Calculating the level of damages to which you are entitled to is called ‘assessing quantum’ or ‘assessing quantum of damages’.
The level of compensation available will be based on:
- Financial costs you have incurred (e.g. medical bills, rehabilitation costs, care and support fees, lost earnings etc.)
- The non-financial impact of injuries (e.g. pain and suffering, loss of amenity etc).
Time limits for asbestos compensation
You will typically have three years to claim from the ‘date of knowledge’. This is the date on which you were aware that:
- You were suffering from an asbestos-related disease.
- This was caused by someone else’s negligence.
In the case of asbestos claims, the date of knowledge is often decades after the asbestos exposure occurred. You generally have three years to make a claim from the date you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. If you want to claim on behalf of a family member who has sadly died, you’ll have three years to make a claim from the date of their death or from the point when it was discovered asbestos disease caused their death.
Claiming for a loved one who has died due to asbestos exposure
Where someone has died due to an asbestos-related disease, the executors or administrators of the estate may be able to bring a claim on behalf of certain family members and beneficiaries, including but not necessarily limited to widows/widowers, partners, children and other dependants.
Asbestos compensation after death may potentially cover:
- Funeral expenses
- The loss of the deceased’s income
- Loss of services provided by the deceased (e.g. personal care support)
- Normal household costs
- Medical costs
- Childcare costs
- Counselling
Find out more about fatal injury claims.
Claiming asbestos compensation where your employer has gone out of business
Even if the employer responsible for your asbestos exposure has gone out of business, it is still often possible to claim compensation. This is because we will be pursuing a claim against the insurer who covered your former employer at the time of your exposure, rather than the employer themselves.
Settling an asbestos-related disease claim out of court
In most cases, asbestos disease claims are settled out of court through negotiation between our lawyers and the defendant’s legal team. This allows you to get the maximum compensation available without the time, expense, stress and uncertainty of going to court.
Taking your asbestos compensation claim to court
Should court proceedings be required, our team will make sure you know exactly how these proceedings work and that you have the very best representation. You can then be confident of what to expect and that you have the strongest chance of a successful claim.
Transferring your case to Novum Law from another firm
Our asbestos lawyers can provide an independent second opinion if you are unhappy with your current representation. We will let you know if we believe your claim has been mishandled and can provide fresh representation for you where appropriate.
In previous cases where we have taken over asbestos-related disease claims from other firms, our team have been able to get a significantly higher settlement and/or secure compensation faster.
Find out more about transferring your asbestos compensation claim to Novum Law.
Have a question we haven’t answered?
If you have a question that is not listed above, please visit our FAQs page. Alternatively, please get in touch and we will be happy to answer your query.
Book your free initial consultation with our asbestos & mesothelioma lawyers in Plymouth
If you believe you or a loved one are entitled to compensation for an asbestos-related diseased, our personal injury lawyers in Plymouth are here for you.
We also have offices in Bristol, Cardiff, the Isle of Wight, Salisbury, Southampton and Swindon, allowing us to offer a convenient local service to clients further afield.
To begin your claim, contact us on 01752 964 683 or online for a free, no obligation chat.
