Seeking Asbestos Advice From Asbestosis Lawyers

Jan. 13, 2012 - PRLog -- On December 14th, a change of the law in Ireland saw the reinstatement of mesothelioma compensation entitlement for individuals who possess the asbestos-related condition of pleural plaques - the raised fibrous scarring of the lungs. Consequently, there will be a number of individuals seeking the right asbestos advice  and knowing what documents and records will be required by the asbestosis lawyers in order to be able to achieve a positive outcome.

Earlier in October, the Supreme Court justices in London had ruled in favour of judges in Scotland, who had introduced the Damages Act in 2009, thereby, dismissing the claim forcefully being contested by several insurers that certain provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights had been breached.

It has been known that around a half of all those who are exposed to asbestos will develop pleural plaques and is recognised as confirmation of original exposure. While the fibrous growths are themselves benign and will not turn malignant, they are almost always present in patients with asbestosis disease and often where patients are diagnosed with the incurable mesothelioma cancer.

There is a long gestation period of between 15 to 50 years, from when the deadly asbestos fibres were first inhaled to become permanently lodged in the pleura (lung linings) and the appearance of asbestosis symptoms, often when the mesothelioma is at an advanced stage and the patient may only have 4 – 12 months to live from confirmed diagnosis.

It is often the spouse, or a close family relative who undertakes to seek the help of an asbestosis lawyer to pursue a mesothelioma claim.  The process can be challenging, especially if the original period of exposure was thought to have occurred many years previously and there is a statutory time limit of three years within which to seek damages.

A key objective for an asbestos lawyer is to try to settle the case on behalf of their client without the case being settled in court and the requirement to prepare for trial. This would involve including drafting pre-trial briefs and sending notices about the hearing to witnesses.

Those seeking asbestos advice, even with regard to a seemingly straightforward matter as the existence of pleural plaques, need to understand that pursuing a successful asbestos claim can be a long process in which many different factors will be closely analysed to determine exact cause and liability. The first challenge is to track down and obtain satisfactory response from original company owners and their insurers.

At an initial consultation between lawyer and client, the case file will be reviewed, records organised and initial discovery requests forwarded to the other party. Once the process is underway, a full and detailed medical record history of the ‘plaintiff’ will need to be examined and summarised to obtain all costs of medical treatments.

It is crucial to the case to be able to thoroughly examine a complete employment history in order to determine which employers may be liable. A list of all relevant places the plaintiff worked and the length of time worked for each company will be carefully compiled. Vital factors such as the number of years and frequency a person was exposed to asbestos are critical because this determines the extent of the company’s liability, which is  taken into consideration when calculating a settlement demand.

Each year in the UK more than 2,000 diagnosed cases of mesothelioma alone are still recorded and the number of asbestosis claim cases has more than doubled from 574 in 2007 to 1,164 in 2010, according to recent figures released by the Royal Courts of Justice.

Visit http://www.asbestosvictimadvice.com for more information and advice.

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Offering clear information, advice and FAQ's on mesothelioma and asbestos related illnesses.

Visit http://www.asbestosvictimadvice.com for more information and advice.