Death rate for asbestos-related cancer rises
Research released by the Office of National Statistics last month has revealed that the rate of deaths from mesothelioma is climbing.
The average rate of deaths from the asbestos-related cancer is now 4.5 deaths per 100,000 people. But for the period between 2008 and 2012, the rate was just 2.6 per 100,000 people.
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is a not-for-profit organisation whose members are dedicated to campaigning for improvements in the law to help people who are injured through no fault of their own.
APIL compiled a list of the 10 areas with the highest mortality rate for mesothelioma, which revealed that Barrow-in-Furness had a rate nearly three times the average, with 14.3 deaths per 100,000 people.
Jonathan Wheeler, president of APIL, said: “Mesothelioma is a legacy of Britain’s industrial heritage. Thankfully, employers nowadays are more aware of the dangers of exposing workers to asbestos.
“But those who were exposed 30 or 40 years ago are now facing death sentences for simply turning up to work.”
According to the NHS, more than 2,500 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. Men are five times more likely to be diagnosed than women. Mesothelioma is usually caused by exposure to asbestos, and can develop 20 to 60 years after this initial exposure.
The time limit for making a personal injury claim for industrial disease is within three years of the date you became aware of the illness, or the date of death for a relative who died of an asbestos-related illness.