Home | News & events | Press releases | Thousands still exposed to asbestos danger warns specialist

Thousands still exposed to asbestos danger warns specialist

04 August 2008

Asbestos is still a danger to thousands of UK workmen, a specialist lawyer has warned.

Sara Hunt, who has joined national law firm Shoosmiths to head its Birmingham Personal Injury team, believes a lack of awareness means the likes of builders, plumbers and joiners remain exposed to asbestos.

Used widely as a building, insulating and fireproof material from the 1950s to the 1980s, asbestos is highly carcinogenic.

Hunt, who has 10 years’ experience as a personal injury lawyer, said: “There remains a lack of awareness about the dangers of asbestos.

“A recent survey by The British Lung Foundation revealed that of 399 tradesmen questioned, only 12% knew that asbestos could cause mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer.”

She said that while many tradesmen believed most asbestos had been removed from UK buildings, any building constructed or refurbished before Year 2000 could contain the material.

And one in 10 said they had sometimes felt under pressure to continue working even when they suspected asbestos was present.

“People exposed to asbestos as long as 40-years-ago might only now be developing asbestos-related conditions. The companies they worked for may have been taken over, or no longer exist, and so they need specialist advice if they are to pursue a claim.”

Hunt, a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and on the Law Society Personal Injury Panel, has specialised in asbestos disease claims for five years.

She led the asbestos team at her last law firm, which was involved in a number of high value settlements, and a Court of Appeal case.

“People are mistaken if they think asbestos is a danger from the past. For many, its effects are only now being felt, many years after they were exposed to it. It’s vital, therefore, that we highlight its continued presence in buildings, the dangers it poses, and what can be done for those already exposed to it.”

For further information please contact:
Name: Alastair Gray
Phone: 08700 864096
Email: Alastair.Gray@shoosmiths.co.uk

Email this page