Deborah Krelle
Partner, Head of Industrial Disease
View Profile
English
For a Free Claims Assessment, call our Personal Injury Solicitors and we will help you. We handle most mesothelioma claims on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Our Industrial Disease claims team includes specialist Mesothelioma Compensation Solicitors and almost all claims are dealt with on a No Win, No Fee basis.
When compensation is awarded in mesothelioma claims, our clients receive 100% of it because our success fee is paid by the defendant or its insurers and not by our clients.
We know from many previous mesothelioma cases that the trauma of such a diagnosis is only made worse if you don’t know where or how you were exposed to the asbestos that caused it.
It might have been a long time ago or the exposures to asbestos were at a low level. This uncertainty makes legal advice from an experienced Mesothelioma Solicitor vital.
We offer a Free Claims Assessment and will give you clear and practical legal advice about your rights. Your Mesothelioma Lawyer will stay in regular contact, so you have updates and support throughout the claims process.
For a Free Claims Assessment get in touch with our Mesothelioma Claim Solicitors.
We're rated‘Excellent’We’re happy to visit our clients in their own homes (in England or Wales) and will provide high levels of support and care. For example, we can help you get any state benefits you may be eligible for and have helped clients get government support within just eight weeks of starting their claim.
We’ll work hard to settle your mesothelioma compensation claim as quickly as possible, so you can live the rest of your life comforted by the knowledge that you and your family can be provided for.
And we’ll make every effort to avoid going to Court, as we know giving evidence in the witness box can cause stress and anxiety.
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the pleura, the lining of the lungs, that’s nearly always caused by asbestos exposure. The disease can also reach the lining of the abdominal cavity, around the heart and the testes. It's often the result of poor working conditions, though even minimal asbestos exposure can lead to the onset of symptoms.
There are around 2,700 new mesothelioma cases in the UK every year, according to Cancer Research’s latest estimates. Most cases are diagnosed in people aged 60-80 and men are more commonly affected than women.
Common symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, tiredness, weight loss and a high temperature. It can be many years before these signs start to show – usually around 30 to 40 years after the asbestos exposure.
In terms of claiming compensation, that means we often need to investigate events that happened a very long time ago. This added complexity is why it’s so important to get a specialist Mesothelioma Solicitor to represent you.
Our Industrial Disease Solicitors have specialist asbestos disease lawyers who have years of experience helping people like you
We give clear and practical legal advice about your rights, keeping in regular contact, so you get updates and support throughout your claim
We partner with charities including Macmillan Cancer Support and support Action Mesothelioma Day every year
We have an extensive database on previous mesothelioma claims against employers, as well as insurance company information. So even if you were exposed to asbestos a long time ago or if the company responsible isn’t now in business, we could still help you.
Asbestos exposure leading to mesothelioma is particularly common in people who’ve worked in heavy industry such as construction and shipbuilding. But asbestos was widely used as a building material in the UK between the 1930s and mid-1980s until its health risks became apparent, so those affected can also include:
Simpson Millar5 stars
Case concluded!
Simpson Millar has recently concluded my personal injuries claim. They took over my claim, which was acknowledged to be complex, from another company. Alan Jolliffe and team progressed it with speed...
Margaret Parmenter
Simpson MillarGreat industrial disease compensation service
I contacted Simpson Millar after reviewing a number of solicitors. I was looking for someone to help me and my mother claim on behalf of my late father. The case was complex and somewhat historical. I...
Stuart
Simpson MillarMy late Husband claims
: "My lawyer was always available to answer my questions and concerns. He put me at ease throughout the legal process. I would recommend Simpson Millar anytime
Mercy
Simpson MillarTrustworthy solicitors
The service I have received has been over several years and these solicitors have doggedly pursued our claim. Always keeping us informed of any progress or setbacks. I am grateful for their guidance t...
Mrs Sally Keyse
Simpson MillarFrom start to finish both Nick and Emma…
From start to finish both Nick and Emma have been quick to respond to my emails, Nick has explained in detail and outlined everything I needed to know, have found him a dream to work with, I will have...
Mrs Angela Brock
Simpson MillarSimpson Millar Represented Our Family Very Well
Simpson Millar represented our family in a compensation claim. The solicitor with whom we worked, Anthony Waddington, was very supportive throughout the rather long process which eventually led to a...
Devon Customer
Simpson MillarExcellent service from Anthony and his…
Excellent service from Anthony and his team. Great results and that was down to the hard work carried out by the team. Thank you for a pleasant experience
MRS MARY MCFALL
Mesothelioma can also affect family members, as they may have come into contact with harmful fibres when an exposed worker came home. This is known as secondary exposure to asbestos and is becoming a more common cause of mesothelioma.
Lynda shares her family's experience with her mother's death caused by asbestos exposure.
Barry was exposed to asbestos while working as a heavy goods vehicle mechanic in the 1970s. After feeling breathless while on holiday, Barry was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with mesothelioma. He contacted the Industrial Disease team at Simpson Millar to claim compensation for his condition. Securing compensation has given Barry peace of mind that his wife will be financially secure, whatever the future may hold.
If you or someone you know were exposed to asbestos and have received a mesothelioma diagnosis, you could be able to claim compensation. Claiming can provide financial security for your family’s future, facilitate a better quality of life and raise awareness of the issue itself.
The delayed onset of mesothelioma can make it difficult to pinpoint exactly what situations or parties are to blame. But we have extensive experience and historical information relating to mesothelioma cancer claims and can provide clarity on your situation.
Often in these cases, the employer responsible for asbestos exposure is no longer trading. However, we could still help you make a claim against their historical insurance company or through a UK Government compensation scheme.
Our Mesothelioma Claim Solicitors will investigate your working history and explore every possible course of action to find the likely cause of your illness. Contact our specialists today for a Free Claims Assessment.
Call us for a Free Claims Assessment from a specialist Mesothelioma Solicitor. We can discuss your situation and how we can help you.
If we take on your case, we’ll ask you to prepare a draft CV/employment history from what you can remember. We’ll also help you apply for any state benefits you may be entitled to, including Blue Badges.
Our expert Mesothelioma Lawyers will make urgent searches to trace the insurance companies for your past employers. Even if an employer stopped trading many years ago, it’s usually still possible to find their insurance company and bring a claim against them.
We’ll gather relevant documents that may help your case, such as old payslips, employment records, and hospital and GP medical records.
We’ll arrange for you to have a medical assessment from at least one independent medical expert. They’ll provide a medical report detailing your illness, the likely cause and how it’s impacted your life.
We’ll send a formal Letter of Claim setting out the details of your case to the company that exposed you or their insurance company.
If they agree to settle and further evidence isn’t needed, your claim could be settled within six months of us taking it on. A more complex case could take longer to settle, particularly if it needs to go to Court.
We offer wide-ranging support to people making a mesothelioma cancer claim. For example:
Our client, a man in his 80s, began experiencing shortness of breath in July 2018 and visited his GP, who sent him for an X-ray. The following month, he had further investigations including a CT scan, following which he was diagnosed with mesothelioma – an asbestos-related cancer of the lining of the lungs.
Widow wants to hear from people who worked at the former Fibrecrete or the Woodchester Industrial Estates during the 1980s and 90s
Kenneth Reynolds was in good health and able to enjoy life following his retirement, but in 2016, he began having problems with his balance and went to see his GP. He was sent for a number of CT scans and was diagnosed as suffering with vascular dementia in December 2017.
We take on mesothelioma claims on a No Win, No Fee basis. This is an arrangement between you and your Mesothelioma Lawyer and means you won’t pay any legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful. You’ll need to have suitable insurance in place, but our team can help arrange this for you.
If your claim is successful, you’ll pay us a pre-agreed success fee and any remaining legal costs not covered by the other side. Read more about how No Win, No Fee claims work.
Compensation amounts vary as they’re always unique to individual cases. Your mesothelioma compensation will be calculated based on factors including:
Your Mesothelioma Solicitor will be able to give you a more accurate idea of what your claim is worth once they learn more details about your case. Once this figure is established, our legal experts have the necessary drive and know-how to secure the full compensation your situation deserves.
You typically have three years from the date of your diagnosis to make a mesothelioma compensation claim. There are sometimes exceptions in which claiming is allowed beyond the three-year limit.
Whether you’re confident of being within the time limit or unsure, we recommend contacting our Mesothelioma Compensation Solicitors as soon as possible. Doing so could allow you to access the compensation and care you need sooner.
If a loved one has sadly passed away, it is possible to claim on their behalf as a dependant. You will have a time limit of three years from the date they passed to claim for mesothelioma death compensation.
Mesothelioma claims can take anywhere from six months to several years to settle depending on their complexity. Relevant factors include:
Rest assured we’ll be there to support and update you every step of the way.
Yes. Some doctors don’t realise you can still successfully claim mesothelioma compensation even if you were exposed to very low levels of asbestos dust.
It can also be difficult to recall your work history immediately after receiving this dreadful diagnosis, as you may not be able to think clearly.
Yes. Our Mesothelioma Solicitors rely on the 1931 Asbestos Industry Regulations to win our cases, which pre-date the period in which asbestos products were most widely used in the UK.
Our legal experts are happy to visit you in your home in England or Wales if this would make things more comfortable.
Yes. This is important as often people then have chemotherapy or get poorly quite quickly and don’t want to be bothered with witness evidence during this stage.
Yes. We regularly do this and assist with Attendance Allowance and Constant Attendance Allowance applications, plus help with mobility aids and equipment.
Yes. The procedure varies for lots of different regions, but our team can help wherever you are.
Yes. We can do this for you as people are often asked by other firms if they have details of their diagnosis in writing and so they shouldn’t worry about having to get this from their GP.
Yes. This is an automatic payment with a diagnosis of mesothelioma and is our main priority when you call in to speak with us about making a mesothelioma compensation claim.
We will help you secure this payment as quickly as possible and consider other state benefits you may be entitled to. Some of our clients don’t have viable civil claims as these are not automatic, so state benefit claims are hugely important as they become the only compensation available for their diagnosis.
Yes. This is hugely important as some people are too ill to undergo a biopsy. If a specialist lung nurse or doctor suggests their condition could be due to mesothelioma, it’s sensible to speak with one of our Mesothelioma Solicitors to see how they can help.
This is because you’ll have automatic access to the Government Lump Sum Payment if it is mesothelioma. This payment is then available up to a year after the date of death.
Mesothelioma claims are pursued against the past insurance company for your employers and so letters are often sent straight to the insurance company. This is because the past employers commonly involved in these cases have often long gone out of business.
The claims are pursued against the past insurance company for your employers and so a lot of the time letters are sent straight to the insurance company. The reason for this is that often past employers have long gone out of business.
Yes. If you served in the Royal Navy, you should always be considering a Veterans Agency Claim.
Collecting evidence for mesothelioma cancer claims can be complex. But we’ll take care of all the necessary investigations including those required for public buildings, such as libraries, schools and hospitals so you don’t have to.
We can get asbestos surveys through the Freedom of Information Act free of charge.
Yes, often clients have overlapping legal problems that urgently need sorting. In our experience, this has ranged from an emergency Will to sorting out legal ownership of a property if a couple has been separated for a long time.
Your Mesothelioma Lawyer will be able to point you in the right direction when you tell them more about your legal needs.
For our clients undergoing immunotherapy treatment in successful mesothelioma claims, we’ve secured interim payments of £50,000 - £100,000.
We’ve been able to keep back some of this payment to help pay for the treatments and prevent you from having to deal with the associated admin yourself. These treatments cannot be administered until paid for, so there is an element of urgency. Insurance companies will sometimes agree to meet the monthly costs of your treatment directly.
Yes. In two recent cases, we liaised with local hospices to find out about extra private care, as the money for such care was successfully recovered in the civil claims.
In many cases, our Mesothelioma Solicitors have acted for multiple people who have been exposed to asbestos at the same place. We have an extensive database with information on previous employers and their insurers and can search this in relation to your case to make things as easy as possible.
Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0808 239 0144
