Pleural Thickening Compensation

Pleural thickening, or diffuse pleural thickening (DPT), is a lung disease that can be caused by asbestos exposure. If you or a loved one suffers from this condition, Shoosmiths can help you make a compensation claim.

Pleural thickening is the term used to describe a scarring of the membrane (the pleura) that covers the lung. There may be no initial symptoms but as the condition progresses the sufferer will begin to experience chest pain or tightness, a persistent cough and reduced breathing function that gets worse over time.

Victims are likely to have been exposed to asbestos. When asbestos fibres are inhaled, they can damage local lung cells, gradually building up and causing scar tissue which cannot expand or contract like healthy lung tissue, resulting in reduced breathing function.

Although the condition is not generally fatal it can become more debilitating over the space of several years. Those most at risk are people who handled, used or came into contact with asbestos during their daily work. That could include people such as carpenters or electricians, miners, labourers working on building sites, merchant mariners and railway workers.

Your employer has a duty to protect your health and safety at work. If they have failed in that duty, you are well within your rights to bring a claim for compensation against them. You may be able to claim compensation from your employer who was negligently responsible for exposing you to asbestos.

You could have a case for claiming compensation even if the company (or their insurer) is no longer in business. As a general rule you usually have to start a claim within three years of when you knew you were suffering from an illness caused by asbestos exposure. This is usually taken to mean the date of diagnosis or the first 'date of knowledge' and does not mean three years from the time of asbestos exposure.

Sharine Burgess

Partner

Personal injury, Industrial diseases
- 03700 86 3423
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Sharine is a Partner in the Serious Injury department at Shoosmiths and heads up the Personal Injury team based in Northampton. She was appointed joint head of the Northampton Office in 2021.
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Sarah Cunliffe

Senior Associate

Personal injury
Sarah qualified in September 2001 and joined Shoosmiths in 2003. Sarah is a serious injury lawyer who deals with a variety of Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence claims.
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Kate Price-Marson

Senior Associate

Personal injury, Industrial diseases
- 03700 86 4031
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Kate specialises in dealing with serious personal injury claims, including workplace illnesses, industrial disease, asbestos related claims, and catastrophic injuries. In particular, she has expertise in dealing with multiple defendant claims and those where the former employer is no longer trading.
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