Pleural thickening is a common condition arising from exposure to asbestos. With this condition, the lining of the lung (the pleura) becomes thickened as a result of irritation from asbestos fibres breathed in many years earlier. The condition can cause shortness of breath as a result of the lungs being unable to inflate properly. Other symptoms may include chest pain or a persistent cough.
Pleural thickening can arise as a result of other causes, for example, tuberculosis, rib damage, sarcoidosis or pleurisy but where it has been caused by exposure to asbestos, compensation may be recoverable. The condition cannot be cured but medication can help sufferers with their symptoms.
It can develop in anyone who has had contact with asbestos in the past. Common types of worker who can claim compensation for pleural thickening are:
- Builders
- Plumbers
- Laggers
- Electricians
- Fitters
- Power station workers
With asbestos having been so widely used up until the 1970s, many other people are also likely to have been exposed to sufficient levels of asbestos to bring a claim for compensation.
Contact us to make a claim for compensation for pleural thickening.
