Richard Green examines the implications of low-level asbestos exposure cases for the legal profession
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) has reported that the UK and other developed countries are on the verge of an asbestos-related disease epidemic that is likely to start this year, peaking in roughly 2020. This follows a steady rise in the number of mesothelioma cases since the early 1970s. For men, crude mortality rates increased more than 11-fold between 1970 and 2011. The rise is smaller for women, with rates increasing around 8-fold during the same period. Between the years 2000 and 2011, mortality rates have increased by 20% and 40% in men and women respectively. To put a scale on the problem, Cancer Research UK’s latest statistics indicate that in 2012 there were 2,429 deaths from mesothelioma in the UK, 84% of which were men.
Lengthy latency period
As is commonly known, the latency period between asbestos exposure and contraction of associated diseases is long—commonly between 25 and 50 years—meaning that many former tradesmen exposed to the material are now contracting the disease. The number of cases is expected to peak
