Asbestos and industrial diseases
Specialist legal support for asbestos claims, mesothelioma compensation, and occupational disease compensation.
If you or someone you love has developed an illness because of exposure to asbestos, silica dust or another dangerous substance at work, you deserve answers, support and justice.
For more than 35 years, Leigh Day’s industrial disease solicitors have fought for workers and their families, holding negligent employers and their insurers to account.
The industrial diseases team understand how overwhelming a diagnosis can feel and is here to guide you clearly through every step, giving you honest advice you can trust and the determination to secure the compensation you are owed.
Leigh Day handles claims relating to:
- Asbestos-related diseases and mesothelioma
- Pleural thickening
- Silicosis and pneumoconiosis
- Workplace and occupational cancers
- Asphyxiation and other industrial diseases
Ready to talk? Call the team on freephone 08006895854 or fill in the form.
Key conditions Leigh Day covers
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Mesothelioma claims
Mesothelioma is an incurable asbestos-related cancer. Find out how Leigh Day's asbestos specialists can help you today.
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Pleural thickening claims
You may be able to bring a pleural thickening claim if you were exposed to asbestos at work or in a public place.
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Supporting Pneumoconiosis and Silicosis sufferers across the UK
If you have pneumoconiosis or silicosis, you may be eligible to claim compensation for the financial impact of your illness.
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Workplace cancer claims
Talk to Leigh Day's team of workplace cancer legal specialists today.
Who can make a claim?
Your employer has a duty of care to protect you under the Health and Safety at Work Act. If they failed to do so, we could help you seek justice. The industrial diseases team regularly act for:
- Workers exposed to asbestos or other dangerous substances, such as silicosis, during their employment.
- Families and dependents claiming after the death of a loved one.
- People exposed second-hand, such as spouses who washed contaminated work clothing, or children who came into contact with fibres brought home.
- Claimants living abroad, including in Australia. We work with local lawyers, so you always have personal contact in your own country.
What compensation covers
If your claim succeeds, the amount you receive depends on the severity of your condition and its impact on your life. Compensation can help you recover and adjust, covering:
- Loss of earnings – for time off work, permanent job loss, and lost future salary and pensions.
- Rehabilitation costs – medication, therapy, and treatment to support your recovery.
- Medical expenses – including travel to appointments and, in some cases, private immunotherapy for mesothelioma.
- Care and support – help at home, whether temporary or permanent.
- Specialist equipment and home adaptations – to help you live with your condition.
- Loss of services – if you can no longer manage DIY, gardening, or domestic tasks.
Every case is assessed individually. Your solicitor will give you a realistic estimate of what you could receive.
Get help today
Why choose Leigh Day?
High-ranking firm
Top-tier rated by the independent legal directories The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
Legal specialists local to you
Offices across the UK including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bristol and Leeds, with the ability to visit you at home or in hospital.
Championing the rights of asbestos sufferers
Pioneering, human rights-led work, working closely with the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK to protect the rights of asbestos sufferers.
See what others are saying
Find out how Leigh Day has helped others
Former plumber paid settlement after Lambeth Council admits exposing him to asbestos
A former Lambeth Council plumber diagnosed with asbestos cancer, mesothelioma has received a settlement payment from the local authority after it admitted exposing him to asbestos.
Former ceiling tile factory worker settles claim nine months after asbestos-related cancer diagnosis
A man from Newcastle-upon-Tyne who worked as a maintenance fitter for ceiling tile manufacturer Armstrong Cork Limited has reached a six-figure settlement after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Widow receives six-figure settlement following death of former decorator from mesothelioma
A six-figure settlement has been reached on behalf of a woman whose husband died aged 80 from mesothelioma following his exposure to asbestos during the early 1970s while working as a painter and decorator in Newcastle.
Family receives six-figure settlement following death of former paper mill worker
A six-figure settlement has been secured on behalf of the family of a paper mill worker who died from asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.
Six-figure settlement for family of Houchin Aerospace receptionist exposed to asbestos
The family of a woman who we have called Fiona has received a significant settlement from the insurers of her former employer, Houchin Aerospace, after she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a terminal form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to asbestos.
Substantial settlement for chemical factory worker exposed to asbestos by British manufacturing giant ICI
A former chemical factory worker has received a substantial financial settlement after a court found he was exposed to asbestos by one of Britain’s largest manufacturers, Imperial Chemical Industries.