Pleural Thickening Compensation Claims

Pleural thickening is a lung condition caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres.

Asbestos exposure can cause scarring and swelling of the lining of the lungs. Where the damage is widespread across the entire lungs, the condition is known as diffuse pleural thickening.

Symptoms of pleural thickening include shortness of breath and tightness around the chest.

If you are aware that you have previously been exposed to asbestos and begin to experience these symptoms, it is important to seek advice from your GP.

If you have been diagnosed with pleural thickening, we can help you make a claim for compensation.

Most people are exposed to asbestos in the workplace, but this isn’t always the case. No matter how or where you were exposed, you still may be able to make a claim.

It helps if you know when and where you were exposed to asbestos, but we know that isn’t always possible, as it can take decades to develop an asbestos-related condition.

Our specialists have built up the largest asbestos register in the UK, which contains details of when and where other claimants have been exposed. We will use this unrivalled experience to help you identify the source of your asbestos exposure and find out how you were exposed. We will also be able to use our register to identify any potential witnesses to help support your claim.

If you were exposed to asbestos while working for a company that no longer exists, you can still make a pleural thickening compensation claim. We will work to track down the company’s insurer who will pay out for a successful claim.  

When you make a pleural thickening compensation claim with Thompsons, we won’t charge you a penny for legal advice or representation - whether you win or lose.

The only charge we must pass on to you by law is for an insurance policy to underwrite your claim. If you win your claim, the cost of the insurance policy is paid from your compensation. If you don’t win your claim, then you won’t have to pay anything – similar to a no win, no fee agreement, but without any legal fees. 

If you belong to a trade union, we advise you make your claim through your union’s legal service. Trade union members don’t have to pay for the insurance policy and therefore keep 100% of any compensation awarded.

Pleural plaques are a less severe form of pleural thickening.

A diagnosis of diffuse pleural thickening requires scarring and swelling across the entire lung. If scarring and swelling is localised to certain areas of the lungs, this is diagnosed as pleural plaques.

Pleural plaques can eventually spread across the entire lung, leading to a diagnosis of pleural thickening.

Sadly, following a test case brought several years ago by insurers, it is no longer possible to claim compensation for a diagnosis of pleural plaques in England and Wales.

The legal situation is different in Northern Ireland and Scotland, so please contact us for advice if you have been exposed to asbestos in either of these legal jurisdictions and you have since developed pleural plaques.

If your pleural plaques develop into full pleural thickening, you can then make a claim in England and Wales – so our advice is to have regular check-ups with your GP who can keep a close eye on your condition.

Even if you cannot currently make a claim, we operate an asbestos register where you can record details of your asbestos exposure in case you or your family members need it in the future. Request a call back from our asbestos lawyers to record your details on the register.

People who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk of pleural thickening.

Typically, this tends to be people who have worked in construction as boilermakers, electricians, builders, carpenters, pipe fitters and plumbers, however, asbestos exposure is not limited to these professions.

Family members of people who work in these industries can often suffer from pleural thickening after being exposed to asbestos dust brought home on their work clothes.

Asbestos was widely used in a variety of building materials and products from the 1930s until it was banned in the 1980s. This means almost all buildings constructed or refurbished during this period are likely to contain the substance. People who spent any time in or near such buildings could therefore have been exposed to asbestos.

The amount of compensation you could receive for pleural thickening depends on your case. Pleural thickening damages are case specific, which means your compensation is calculated by the level of suffering, as well as the financial losses and care costs incurred from your diagnosis.

Here are some examples of pleural thickening payouts we have secured for our clients:

• £15,000 in provisional damages for a 64-year-old project manager from the north-east of England, who developed asymptomatic pleural thickening. He worked as an engineer in the shipyard in Barrow in Furness and in the Merchant Navy. An award of provisional damages allows our client to return for further damages in the event he suffers from a significant deterioration in his condition.
• £14,641 for a sheet metal worker from Wallsend, Tyne and Wear who developed asbestos-related pleural thickening.

The first step to making a claim is to seek legal advice from our expert asbestos solicitors.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with pleural thickening, get in touch with our lawyers to discuss your case in detail.

We will let you know whether you can make a pleural thickening claim and how much compensation you are likely to receive.

If you decide to progress your claim, we will work with you to identify the source of your asbestos exposure and gather evidence against those responsible in order to secure the maximum compensation for your illness.

You have three years to make a pleural thickening claim, starting from the date you received your diagnosis. It’s important that you get in touch with our solicitors as soon as possible to make sure we can submit your claim.