A recent study has revealed a connection between asbestos exposure, heart disease and strokes – potentially making it possible to claim compensation for heart diseases from asbestos exposure.
The study was conducted by the Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL) – a branch of the UK´s Health and Safety Executive – and published in the British Medical Journal. It concludes that employees exposed to asbestos are at greater risk of heart disease and strokes than the general population – with women more likely to be affected than men.
HSL analysed 15,557 deaths among 98,912 workers who had taken part in regular voluntary health monitoring and participated in the Asbestos Workers Survey, and compared the number of deaths from strokes and heart attacks among these workers against the number that would be expected to occur in the general population.
The Discrepancy between Male and Female Deaths
The discrepancy between male and female deaths – where exposure to asbestos had contributed towards a fatal heart disease or stroke – was significant. Male asbestos workers (most commonly engaged in asbestos removal) were 39 percent more likely to die of heart disease and 63 percent more likely to die of a stroke; while women (most commonly employed in the manufacturing industry) were 89 percent more likely to die of heart disease and 100 percent more likely to die of a stroke after being exposed to asbestos.
There was evidence to suggest that the longer the duration of exposure to asbestos, the greater the likelihood of dying from heart disease or a stroke, and the report concluded that cerebrovascular and ischaemis heart disease mortality rates were significantly higher when there had been occupational exposure to asbestos.
Claiming Compensation for Heart Diseases from Asbestos Exposure
The process for claiming compensation for heart diseases from asbestos exposure would be exactly the same as claiming compensation for exposure to asbestos when a victim has been diagnosed with asbestosis or mesothelioma cancer. Provided it can be proven that the person who was suffering from heart disease or who had experienced a stroke was exposed to asbestos in the course of their work – or due to other environmental factors – it should be possible to claim compensation for heart diseases from asbestos exposure.
This new research will enable many victims of asbestos-related injuries to recover compensation and will allow them to seek the best medical attention to help them lead the fullest possible live. In tragic cases where the person exposed to asbestos has died, families are allowed to claim compensation for heart diseases from asbestos exposure on the victim´s behalf; although the successful conclusion of the claim may depend on being able to locate witnesses who can confirm the presence of asbestos in the workplace.
In all circumstances in which an illness or the death of a loved one is attributable to the exposure to asbestos, it is advisable to discuss eligibility for claiming compensation for heart diseases from asbestos exposure with a solicitor at the earliest practical opportunity.