If you or someone you love has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis or another asbestos related condition, we know that legal claims are probably the last thing on your mind, and we want you to take this at whatever pace feels right for you.

East Anglia’s industrial and maritime heritage means that many of the region’s largest twentieth century employers routinely used asbestos, and workers in docks, power stations, factories, construction and the armed forces all faced regular exposure.

If you worked in one of these industries and have since become unwell, you may be entitled to compensation, even if the exposure happened decades ago and the company involved no longer exists. Whenever you are ready, we are here to help you understand your options.

For more information, get in touch with our expert solicitors at Ashtons Legal.

Why East Anglia had significant asbestos exposure risks

Asbestos was used widely across British industry until it was fully banned in the UK in 1999 (blue and brown asbestos had already been banned in 1985). East Anglia’s economy relied heavily on shipping, power generation, manufacturing, construction and the military, all of which are among the highest risk sectors nationally for historic asbestos exposure.

The region’s concentration of RAF and USAF bases across Suffolk and Norfolk added further risk for both service personnel and civilian workers. Many employers knew of the dangers of asbestos long before their workers were ever warned.

The docks and shipping industry

Dock workers, stevedores and ship repair workers at the Port of Ipswich and at Felixstowe faced heavy exposure through pipe lagging, boilers and engine rooms. Asbestos was used extensively in ship construction and maintenance until the 1980s, and workers from this sector are among the most heavily represented in national mesothelioma statistics.

Power generation

Asbestos was used extensively in insulation, boilers, turbines and pipe lagging at East Anglian power stations, including Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex. Maintenance workers, engineers, laggers and contractors moving between sites over the course of their careers often faced prolonged and repeated exposure.

Manufacturing and engineering

Ipswich was home to major engineering employers such as Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, one of the country’s largest agricultural machinery manufacturers, alongside many other engineering and manufacturing firms across Suffolk and Norfolk.

Asbestos was a standard building and insulation material of the era, so workers could be exposed simply through the fabric of the factories and workshops they worked in, quite apart from any specific process they carried out.

The construction industry

Construction workers across East Anglia encountered asbestos in insulation boards, ceiling tiles, roofing materials, textured coatings and pipe lagging. The post war building boom of the 1950s and 1960s saw particularly heavy use of these materials across housing and public buildings.

Carpenters, plumbers, electricians and plasterers were all at risk, as were those carrying out refurbishment and maintenance work on older buildings in later decades.

The armed forces and military bases

East Anglia has long had a high concentration of RAF and USAF bases, including Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Marham and Wattisham. Asbestos was used in base buildings, hangars, accommodation and aircraft, and both service personnel and civilian workers on these sites may have been exposed. Claims can potentially be brought by veterans and civilian workers alike.

Agriculture and rural industries

Asbestos was commonly used in farm buildings, grain stores and equipment housing across the region. Workers maintaining or demolishing older agricultural buildings may have disturbed asbestos containing materials without realising it. This is a less commonly discussed route of exposure, but one that is particularly relevant to East Anglia’s rural economy.

Healthcare, education and public sector buildings

Hospitals, schools and public buildings constructed between the 1950s and 1970s used asbestos containing materials extensively. Maintenance workers, caretakers and others working in these older buildings may have faced exposure through materials that were disturbed or had begun to deteriorate over time.

Public sector employers, including the NHS and local authorities, are generally well established defendants with traceable insurance arrangements, which can make these claims more straightforward in some respects.

What diseases can result from asbestos exposure?

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen that is almost exclusively caused by asbestos, and it typically has a latency period of twenty to fifty years between exposure and diagnosis.

Asbestosis is a scarring of the lung tissue. Pleural thickening and pleural plaques are changes to the lining of the lungs that can cause breathlessness. Asbestos exposure can also be a contributory factor in some lung cancers. The long latency period is exactly why diagnoses are still being made today for exposure that happened many decades ago.

Does it matter if the company you worked for no longer exists?

No, this is not a barrier to making a claim. Employers were legally required to hold employers’ liability insurance, and the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office maintains a database that helps trace historic insurers even where the original company has long since closed.

Where an employer or insurer genuinely cannot be traced, the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme exists to provide compensation instead. Please do not let uncertainty about your old employer put you off getting in touch.

What are the time limits for asbestos and mesothelioma claims?

Asbestos related disease claims have their own limitation rules, which differ from standard personal injury claims and are often misunderstood. The usual three year time limit does not simply run from the date you were exposed to asbestos. Instead, it runs from your date of knowledge, which is typically the date of diagnosis.

Where someone was exposed while working for more than one employer, the Compensation Act 2006 allows a claim to be brought against any one of those employers. Where a claimant has sadly died, time runs from the date of death or from the date the estate had the relevant knowledge. Because these rules are nuanced, we would always encourage early contact, even if you are unsure of exact dates.

Can family members claim if a loved one has died from an asbestos related disease?

Yes. Claims can be brought on behalf of the estate and dependants under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976, and spouses, partners and children may all have a claim. It is also worth knowing about secondary exposure: some family members who regularly washed a worker’s contaminated overalls have themselves gone on to develop mesothelioma, and they too may be able to claim. We understand how sensitive this area is, and we approach every conversation with that in mind.

Could you have been exposed to asbestos? How Ashtons Legal can help

Our personal injury solicitors include a specialist team experienced in asbestos and mesothelioma claims, accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) as specialists in occupational and asbestos disease claims. We are ranked Tier 1 by The Legal 500 for East Anglia and hold a Band 1 ranking from Chambers and Partners for Norwich and the surrounding area, and we are signatories to both the Serious Injury Guide and the Rehabilitation Code, so that access to support is treated as a priority alongside any claim.

We know the East Anglian industries covered in this article well, including the docks, power stations, engineering firms, RAF and USAF bases and agricultural sites where local people worked, and we have experience tracing historic employers and insurers even many decades on. We act for people who have been directly exposed as well as for family members after a bereavement.

We are proud to sponsor the Anglia Asbestos Disease Support Group, a free monthly group for patients, carers and families in East Anglia affected by asbestos related disease, and we are supporting its campaign to fund a Mesothelioma UK Nurse Specialist post for Norfolk and Suffolk, a fund which has so far raised over £22,000 towards its target.

To find out more about who is affected by asbestos disease, or to read about making a claim for mesothelioma, asbestosis or asbestos related lung cancer, along with more detail on time limits for asbestos claims, please visit the linked pages above.

Claims can be brought on a no win, no fee basis, and we have offices in Cambridge, Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Leeds, acting for clients throughout England and Wales. If you would like to talk to someone in confidence about your working history, please submit an enquiry or call us. There is no pressure and no obligation, just support when you are ready for it.