Industrial Diseases
Digby Brown has many years of experience in working for victims of industrial diseases,
largely through our long-standing association with the trades union movement. We pride
ourselves on being experts in this field, particularly in asbestos-related conditions.
Throughout the twentieth century thousands of Scots working in heavy industry and
construction were exposed to asbestos. The effects of that exposure take many years to develop and
only now are we seeing the results of exposure which happened upwards of forty years ago. It
is estimated that the incidence of asbestos-related disease will not peak in Scotland until about
2015. We understand that when someone is told that they have an asbestos-related disease, that can
be an anxious and traumatic time for them and their family. Our experience and expertise in
asbestos litigation allows us to guide victims and their relatives through the compensation
process.
In Scots law it is the general rule that a personal injury claim must be either settled or
raised in court within three years of the date of the injury, otherwise the claim is likely to be
extinguished. Where you are dealing with an industrial disease and the injury occurred not on a
particular day but, often, over a period of years, matters are more complicated. The position
adopted by the Scottish courts is that the three year period will start to run from the date when a
claimant should have been aware that his symptoms were related to his employment. The three
year period may well start to run prior to any medical diagnosis by a doctor. For this
reason, if you believe that you may have a condition which could have been caused by your working
conditions, it is important that you seek legal advice as soon as possible.
We handle a wide range of industrial disease cases from Asbestos-related disease to
Occupational Asthma, Dermatitis or Vibration White Finger and our experience will allow us to
assess your case and advise you on the best way forward.
Industrial diseases can take years to manifest and the cases can be difficult to prove - in
simple terms if you have developed an illness because of work you may have a claim.
For further information call us on
0845 273 2323 or fill in our brief
enquiry form and someone
will contact you.