Manchester exemplifies the glory of industrial legacy, although under the shadows of history. However, that also reveals a dark past through the wide use of asbestos across industries.
Asbestos, once valued for its fire-resistant property, was soon discovered as responsible for serious health conditions, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.
The legal landscape regarding asbestos exposure in Manchester has developed due to emerging health implications. This has raised Manchester’s Asbestos Legal Question.
What Is the History of Asbestos Exposure in Manchester’s Industries?
As Manchester was at the epicenter of the Industrial Revolution, asbestos became a common material for many workplaces. The more significant the growth of industries was, the more the asbestos used in factories, shipyards, places of work, and buildings increased.
The workers involved in various trades such as laggers, engineers, joiners, dockworkers, and asbestos used to lay out water and steam pipes, boilers, and other industrial gadgets. It was over time that things started getting sorted. This meant that the workers were gradually organizing and managing their tasks.
However, it became clear that they had left unnoticed: Exposed quantities of asbestos that lay hidden. These quantities were possibly dangerous to their health. They could pounce in the form of acute ailments. These ailments carried symptoms of harsh and serious health consequences.
What Are Manchester Asbestos Legal Questions?
In this section, we will discuss Manchester’s Asbestos legal questions that will help you with your claim.
1. What Is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring material formed into a fibrous shape. It is insulated and has received vast popularity as a building material from the 1950s. It serves as an insulating material with good fire protection, and further, it protects against corrosion.
The word “asbestos” comes from the Greek meaning “inexhaustible.” Asbestos is a class of fireproof natural minerals, and extremely resistant to acids and alkalis. Shortly thereafter, it was learned that asbestos was a good insulator and could bond with other materials to produce a product of greater strength.
And since asbestos is usually combined with another material, one can hardly know whether they are working with it. Then again, if you work in a building built before the year 2000, it’s most likely that some component or the other comprises asbestos.
2. What Are the Common Uses of Asbestos?
Asbestos was extensively used in building materials in the UK from the 1950s until the mid-1985. It was used for many different purposes and was ideal for fireproofing and insulation. According to reports, asbestos can be found in buildings constructed before 2000 (homes, factories, offices, schools, hospitals, and so on).
Furthermore, almost all materials containing asbestos fibers have been fully fixed and sealed. Asbestos materials in excellent condition are safe unless the airborne asbestos fibers cause problems, which occur when the materials are damaged.
Some of the ordinary uses of asbestos in buildings are:
- Sprayed coatings: Fire protection on structural supports like columns and beams. An AUP is classified as a high-risk asbestos-containing product resulting in the potential release of very high levels of fibers when disturbed.
- Insulation: Pipe lagging is made with asbestos, and is classified as a high-hazard asbestos product.
- Ceiling and door panels of asbestos insulating board: Known as AIB, this is a high material hazard and produces heavy fiber if cut or drilled.
- AIB window panel: A product with a high asbestos hazard, and if in good condition, it should be left alone.
- Floor tiles: Asbestos-containing vinyl or thermoplastic tiles.
- Asbestos cement roof sheeting: Asbestos cement sheeting is commonly found on industrial building roofs and walls.
- Textured decorative coating, such as Arte:x coatings contain a small amount of asbestos. This asbestos is well bonded and fibers cannot be easily released, but it is still an asbestos product and needs to be worked with safely.
3. Who Might Have Been Exposed to Asbestos and How?
People who are exposed to asbestos include:
- Laggers or insulation engineers: They replace wasted and new types of asbestos lagging.
- Asbestos laggers/installation engineers: They usually strip out asbestos and workers might breathe in asbestos dust.
Sprayed asbestos was often used on board ships and exposure was particularly intense because areas within ships were generally confined spaces.
- Dockers: Loading in cloth made of hairy fabric with rough materials brought in by ships coming into the ports from Canada and South Africa.
- Trucker Drivers: Hauling raw materials to factories.
- Factory workers: Several factories in Britain transformed raw materials into pipes. They also manufactured sheets and insulation powder.
Among these factories were Cape Asbestos in Barking, J W Roberts in Leeds, Universal Asbestos in Uxbridge, and Turners Asbestos Cement in Erith.
- Carpenters: Sawing, drilling, and fitting of asbestos cement sheets.
- Electricians: Insulating the pipes or equipment on which work is being performed with maintained lagging.
- Plumbers: Using the most effective processes.
- Pipe Fitters: To replace parts of pipes and joints, remove wet or moist lagging that contains asbestos.
- Mechanics: Fitting and removing brake linings, brake and clutch shoes, typically involved materials that contained about 55% white asbestos. Workers would often blow out asbestos dust using compressed air lines.
Boiler scalers, who were responsible for cleaning inside boilers, also faced exposure when removing asbestos from the joints
- Council Workers: Repairing the asbestos guttering and the bath panels in council houses.
4. Whom Might I Have Met Asbestos?
What most people have to realize is that most experience with asbestos takes place at work, either your work or someone else’s. After that, there are some instances of exposure from public places, such as those near an asbestos factory.
Around the 1960s, the UK’s plumbing business was the largest distributor of asbestos-containing products. In building designs, including plumbing, people were exposed by using these products or being in their vicinity. It was used in different ways, either as a paste, board, cloth, or rope; on the boundaries, it was sprayed.
5. What Other Types of Exposure to Asbestos Could Exist?
There have also been cases of incidental exposure: teachers working in schools near deteriorating lagging, doctors, and nurses using tunnels underneath hospitals containing exposed lagging in poor condition, and firefighters demolishing old buildings.
There were cases of those living near asbestos factories or those exposed to asbestos from their father’s and husband’s overalls. In addition, case of a barber also reported who contracted asbestos cancer from cutting the hair of employees working at an asbestos factory.
6. Can I File a Claim for Asbestos Compensation?
If you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, Asbestosis, or diffuse pleural thickening, you or your representative may be entitled to the claim process.
7. How Do I Claim for an Asbestos-Related Disease?
As these are complex claims, please consult one of our specialist solicitors; who can take you through this process and explain each step.
They will gather all the necessary information. In addition, they will collect evidence that includes a confirmation of the diagnosis and details of the extent of compensation needed.
Now, what would happen if the defendant does not agree to settle? If the defendants refuse to settle the lawsuit, your lawyer will be forced to issue Court Proceedings and explain the process involved in the Court’s calendar, which will result in a trial.
8. Are There Time Limits for Making an Asbestos Claim?
The general rule is your Court Case must begin within 3 years of the date of being told that you have an asbestos-related condition. However, the rules are complicated, and occasionally the Court will allow a claim to remain even after 3 years have passed.
9. If My Relative Passed Away from Asbestos-Related Disease, Can I File Claims Against the Employers?
Yes, you can. A claim can be made either by the person with the diagnosis or by someone who can look after them and represent their estate after they have passed.
The Legal Implications: Who is Liable?
The most important Manchester asbestos legal concern, most likely, is who can bear responsibility for the asbestos exposure that workers were subjected to decades ago.
Today, many companies that employ the aforementioned workers are out of business or have changed ownership.
This puts together a very confusing and difficult legal situation in which liability has to be traced and compensation has to be secured for those who are affected. For instance, due to the decline of the occupation, Charles Topham & Sons Limited, once located in Eccles, is bankrupt.
However, historic insurers of this and other business enterprises have been successfully traced by legal teams even against undeniable liability, through evidence that leads to court-ordered settlements. These cases highlight the importance of carefully representing the intricacies of asbestos-related claims in legal proceedings.
Case Examples: On-The-Ground Impact and Courtroom Battles
Several cases in Manchester typify the seriousness of asbestos exposure and subsequent legal battles.
Allan Grundy’s Story: Allan Grundy worked for Saunders Concrete Limited, Greater Manchester, between 1969 and 1971. He became a fireman, and even during this time, he encountered risks under asbestos-exposure circumstances.
Diagnosed in 2016, Allan also depicted a clear illustration of the latency of asbestos’ effects on the body, suffering from Mesothelioma. His family won a six-figure claim compensation with the help of personal injury legal experts, battling against all odds.
George’s tale: Carpenter George was exposed to asbestos dust while working for Charles Topham & Sons Limited in the 1970s on building sites. George was not diagnosed with mesothelioma until 2019 many decades after his exposure.
The company itself ceased trading many years ago but court proceedings managed to track their insurers down and a significant settlement was achieved. These cases underline the role that legal teams play in fighting for justice for those exposed to asbestos.
How Can Specialized Legal Teams in Manchester Help with Asbestos Cases?
Steven Dickens leads specialized legal teams operating out of Manchester at Leigh Day. With unparalleled knowledge of the industrial history in the region and insight into the companies that have been at play, this goes a long way in helping these teams help people where compensation is sought.
In addition, you can find expert lawyers at Fieldfisher. This company is a part of the Mesothelioma UK Legal Panel. They are well-known for their sympathetic attitude and dedication to providing the best possible outcome for their clients.
Read also: Burlington Asbestos Legal Question
Conclusion
As applies to legal issues in Manchester, the city’s industrial history and the lifelong health effects on workers create a highly complex and challenging environment. In this context, specialist legal teams become increasingly vital.
Their role in navigating pathways to difficult processes related to tracing liability is crucial in the pursuit of justice for those affected by asbestos-related diseases. The stories of people like Allan Grundy and George are poignant reminders of the human cost of industrial progress and underline the importance of holding those responsible to account.
Anyone who suffers from an asbestos-related condition in Manchester or the larger North West should obtain legal representation as soon as possible. Moreover, when it comes to the Manchester asbestos legal question, a specialist local legal firm can go above and beyond to secure compensation for victims of asbestos poisoning.