6/14/2010 - Asbestos Compensation

The Romans called it “amiantus” which means “unpolluted”, whilst over the years asbestos has proved itself to be the “perfect pollutant”. The history of this outwardly miraculous substance dates back up to 2500 B.C. In the Neolithic age asbestos was used as a temper for ceramic (prehistoric shards and wares that contain asbestos have been found in Nordic region). Since ancient times it was known to Greeks and Romans that asbestos had low thermal conductivity, and a resistance to acids and fire.

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Its adverse biological effects were also known, however this pale white substance had cast spells of its miraculous properties on even learned men of that era, including Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, in such a way that they ignored all its harmful effects. This was so despite concerning circumstantial evidence, such as the fact that (as noted by Strabo at the time) slaves responsible for weaving asbestos into cloth tended towards premature death.

Because of its unique properties, asbestos was a material that only rich people could afford in ancient times. Greeks used asbestos as a wick for the eternal flame that was kept alight in honour of their goddess Vesta and as a funeral dress for the cremation of their kings.

Asbestos Cancer

Asbestos was also used make napkins. It is said that Romans used to throw asbestos napkins in fire to clean them. The dirt would burn off the napkin, but the asbestos would prevent it from burning any further, meaning that it would come out of the fire whiter than it went in. Moreover, asbestos was woven into cloth linings for suits of armor, whilst asbestos paper was used for writings and asbestos textiles were used by the wealthy.

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Were people in the Middle Ages wiser than modern and so called advanced civilisations? Use of asbestos declined significantly in the Middle Ages, which suggests that they may have taken serious note of the hazardous effects of asbestos. However, it is rumored that Charlemagne had asbestos tablecloths. It is also said that Marco Polo witnessed textile items made of asbestos cloth on his travels and observed asbestos mining and the weaving of asbestos cloth in Asia.

In the next article of this ‘ABC of Asbestos Laws’ series, I will disclose how the Industrial Revolution made the use of Asbestosis widespread, and which industries commenced extensive use of asbestos in spite of all ancient observations of the hazards to the pulmonary health of humans. I will also discuss the way entrepreneurs were either oblivious to or chose to ignore its hazardous effects, and so failed to use other less hazardous substances, thus exposing millions of workers to this dangerous substance.

6/11/2010 - Steps to Become a Commercial Property Lawyer

If you are interested in becoming a London lawyer specializing in commercial property, the following article explains everything you need to know. Perhaps you have had work experience in a law firm or have experienced buying and selling real estate before, and it is an area that interests you.

What does a commercial property solicitor do?

For a lawyer specializing in commercial property, work mostly involves the sale, purchase and lease of property like lease shops for use as commercial premises. This includes offices, industrial units, units of retail and production facilities. Their role is to examine the legal issues surrounding such real estate. Specifically, they focus on matters such as rules of land registration, rent, property licenses and deeds.

What attributes do commercial property solicitors have?

Due to the nature of legal work, commercial real estate solicitors London must be able to cope under pressure and must be able to meet demanding deadlines. They must be commercially aware and able to handle large volumes of data quickly, which requires strong analytical skills. They work in teams, which means good communication and interpersonal skills are essential requirements. It may be that the customer needs more legal services than initially anticipated, making flexibility very important.

What are the requirements for becoming a commercial property solicitor?

Generally, candidates will be expected to have attained an Honours degree at 2:1 level or above. Those with a Foundation Degree or HND only will not usually be taken into account for direct entry to the profession, but can enter a training program through other routes such as by first qualifying as a Legal Executive. Although admission is open to graduates from all disciplines, those who do not have a law degree will need to undertake a conversion course of a year, known as the common professional examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). It is not usually disadvantageous to the candidates to have a degree in another discipline to the law; indeed many companies appreciate the vast experience and knowledge that comes with different life choices.

After taking either a law degree or BA CPE / GDL qualification, candidates must take the one year Legal Practice Course (LPC) before starting a training contract of two years with a law firm. With strong competition for training contracts, work experience within a law firm will stand those looking to become a commercial property solicitor in good stead. If you are at university or college, you should approach as many companies as possible to achieve a placement in the academic holidays.

6/10/2010 - Personal Injury Compensation Claims relating to Asbestos

Asbestos is the name given to a naturally occurring mineral that has been widely used in construction and shipbuilding since the 1950s. Asbestos was widely used because it is inflammable, virtually indestructible, flexible and has low thermal conductivity. It is considered ideal for use in insulation, cement, brake linings, and fireproofing.

There are three different types of asbestos. The first is called crocidolite and is more commonly known as blue asbestos – this had been used mainly in the textile industry and it was banned in the UK in 1985. The second is called Amosite and is more commonly known as brown asbestos - this was used primarily for insulation and then forbidden for use in the United Kingdom in 1985. The third is called Chrysotile and is commonly known as white asbestos - it was used in the textile and construction industry and this was only banned from being used in the United Kingdom in 1999.

Although Asbestose  is very useful, it is very dangerous also. Asbestos fibers can break off into millions of tiny pieces that are easily inhaled into the lungs where they can be extremely harmful.

Asbestos-related diseases take many years to develop. A 30-40 year gap is common and there is no upper limit, with numerous instances of a latency period of 60 years or more. Hence, even if you worked with asbestos a long time ago, there is still a risk that you may be affected, particularly if you were exposed regularly or in very high doses. Asbestos-related diseases also occur among the wives and children of men who worked regularly with asbestos, getting loose fibres caught in their work overalls which were then brought into the home.

There are many different conditions related to asbestos. Conditions include pleural plaques, mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. Asbestosis is often misused as a term for all asbestos-related disease.

If you have developed an asbestos-related condition (with the exception of pleural plaques), and can demonstrate that you have been exposed to asbestos because of the fault of another, then you would be allowed to file a claim for injury.

The vast majority of cases of disease develop after years of asbestos cancer and fibre inhalation. X-ray analysis, testing and lung function tests can diagnose an asbestos-related disease and monitor its progress. Generally, the earlier an asbestos related disease is diagnosed, the better the condition can be treated or controlled. However, mesotelioma, asbestosis and asbestos-related lung cancer are extremely aggressive and painful conditions that invariably result in death.

If you or someone you know has developed an asbestos-related disease, telephone us for Asbestos compensation . We are here to help. We are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will gladly address any questions or concerns you may have. If you have a valid personal injury claim, and if you decide to tackle the issue, just instruct us and we will endeavor to recover our legal fees from the Mesothelioma lawyer responsible for your injuries, meaning the whole procedure is free for you.