ASBESTOS COMPENSATION CLAIMS AUSTRALIA
Legal Helpline: ☎ 1800 352 100
If you have been exposed to asbestos and suffer from an asbestos-related disease, then you may be entitled to compensation. We are an independent referral service with access to Australian lawyers who are experienced in handling claims for:
Pleural mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma
Lung Cancer
Asbestosis
Pleural Disease
Pleural Plaques
Our asbestos lawyers offer obligation-free legal advice. Should you wish to pursue an asbestos compensation claim, our team may be able to act for you on a No Win No Fee basis.
Our solicitors are highly experienced in asbestos litigation and therefore know the pitfalls and loopholes to look out for, which could help to speed up your case and ensure that you receive your maximum entitlements to compensation.
ASBESTOS EXPOSURE
We have access to Australian asbestos solicitors who have represented the rights of people who have been exposed to asbestos in many different occupations, including:
Miners
Plant workers
Factory workers
Waterside workers
Builders, Carpenters, Plumbers, Electricians, Painters
Mechanics
Office worker
Teachers and students exposed to asbestos in school
In addition to work-related claims, our solicitors have represented:
People exposed to asbestos in their homes
People who have lost family members as a result of asbestos-related disease
ASBESTOS DISEASES
Just being exposed to asbestos is not enough for you to make an asbestos compensation claim. You need to show that you are suffering from an asbestos-related disease. If you are concerned that you may be suffering from an asbestos-related disease, then you should see your doctor.
Is breathing in asbestos dangerous?
Asbestos-related respiratory illness begins with the breathing in of air containing asbestos fibers. This may happen, for example, when you are renovating and interfere or damage an asbestos product like fibro. Asbestos fibers are odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating. Some of the hairs in your nose will filter out the larger particles, however many of the smaller particles will travel through to your lungs. Particles in the airstream land in the alveoli — the air sacs — where transpiration of gases occurs. It is here in the alveoli that trapped fibers can initiate ill effects. Your body's defense mechanism will try to break down these foreign particles. The problem is however, that asbestos fibers can't be broken down and they will cause scarring inside your lungs.
What is asbestosis?
Asbestos fibers in your lungs will produce scar tissue deposits of collagen. This scarring thickens the alveolar walls. It is this thickening which results in the condition known as "asbestosis". If enough of the hundreds of millions of air sacs are affected, the individual will experience symptoms such as shortness of breath when walking, climbing steps, and, later, on lying down. Progressive loss of alveoli to fibrosis produces a stiffening of lung tissue which further increases the difficulty of breathing. You may feel like you are suffocating. Straining to breathe can result in an enlarged heart. These health problems can take 15 to 40 years to emerge from the time of exposure.
Can I get lung cancer from asbestos?
Yes. It is possible to develop cancer of the bronchus or lungs from breathing in asbestos fibers. Currently, the underlying mechanism by which asbestos inhalation triggers the malignant transformation remains unknown. What is known is that asbestos is a carcinogen. Lung cancer is characterised by the uncontrolled growth of cells in lung tissue. Interestingly, the risk of lung cancer among asbestos workers who smoke is increased 5 to 10 times compared to those who do not smoke.
What is mesothelioma?
Both the lungs and the organs of the abdomen lie in hollow cavities. For the lungs it is the pleural cavity, and for the abdominal organs it is the peritoneum. Both cavities are lined and covered by a clear tissue. It is in this mesothelial tissue that the rare malignancy mesothelioma arises. It can take 15 to 40 years after asbestos exposure for mesothelioma cancer to develop. Pleural mesothelioma is a rapidly progressing nasty cancer. Patients generally pass away within 12 to 24 months after diagnosis.
What other cancers can asbestos cause?
There is increasing research suggesting that exposure to asbestos may also result in an increased risk of several other forms of malignant neoplastic diseases, among them cancer of the larynx, esophagus, stomach, ovaries and colon.
LEGAL ADVICE
You may be entitled to compensation even if your exposure to asbestos occurred many years ago. In fact in most asbestos-related diseases, the signs and symptoms of illness may not manifest until many years of after the exposure.
If you’re not sure as to how or where you were exposed to asbestos, you should still seek legal advice. Call our toll free number ☎ 1800 352 100 to speak with a solicitor on how to make an asbestos claim.
Asbestos compensation awards may include payouts for:
Medical and other treatment expenses as a result of treatment of your condition
Loss of income
Lost earning capacity
The commercial cost of domestic assistance (eg help with nursing care, gardening and maintaining your home), whether that domestic assistance is being paid for by you, or being provided voluntarily by family members
Equipment expenses and costs related to housing modification
Damages for pain and suffering, psychological despair
Damages for reduced life expectancy
Our lawyers are interested in bringing home justice in the form of compensation to those who are suffering and have suffered ill health, because of an asbestos disease. Due to legal time constraints imposed by law, you must seek legal advice immediately. Call us to find out more about your legal rights.
CONTACT US
Legal Helpline: ☎ 1800 352 100
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Notice: This website is not intended for viewing by residents of Queensland (QLD), Australia. The contents of this website do not apply to QLD residents, or accident claims in QLD, or claims connected with QLD. Legislation prohibits advertising of personal injury legal services in QLD. If you were injured in QLD, or if you are a resident of QLD, we are cannot refer you to a lawyer. This legal referral service is therefore unavailable for any QLD accident claims, or claims connected with QLD.