It is very rare for the employer concerned to actually shoulder the payment of industrial disease compensation. In the vast majority of cases compensation comes from your employer's "Employers Liability Insurance". It is a legal requirement for all UK employers to have a policy of this type.

Furthermore, in the event that you are still employed by the defendant there are a number of legal safeguards in place to protect you from unfair dismissal or discrimination made on the basis of your claim.

Yes, this is because the claim is made against the employer's insurers rather than the employer itself.

Although it is possible that your case will go to the court, only a fraction of cases ever reach this stage. Instead, it is likely that it will be in the interests of all parties concerned to settle without courtroom litigation – in fact, the courts encourage such an approach.

There are various funding options available to LPS' clients. However, it is worth bearing in mind that we offer No Win No Fee funding. This means that you make no outlays whatsoever unless you win your case – without exceptions. If your claim is successful then a portion of your compensation is set aside to cover court costs and related fees. We will always discuss this with you at the outset of your claim, so that there are no unwelcome surprises should you receive a damages award.

You can make a claim up to three years from the date the you knew or ought to have known that you were suffering from a work-related illness, or three years from the date of last exposure to any substance or process which has caused the condition (whichever is the later date).

Given that many industrial diseases take a long time to develop, it may be that you need to make a claim decades after the firm responsible for your illness has ceased to trade. But, as long as it is within three years of diagnosis of an industrial disease, it may still be possible to claim compensation when retired or no longer work for the former employer responsible for causing your illness.

In many cases you can still claim state benefits even while being the recipient of industrial disease compensation. For example, those with asbestos illnesses still receive payments under the Pneumoconiosis Workers Compensation Scheme. Furthermore, a good personal injury lawyer can help you establish a personal injury trust so that you can manage your finances in the way that is most advantageous to you.

It is possible to claim compensation on behalf of a deceased family member. However, the claim must be brought within three years of the date of death. Similarly, if the claimant dies during the course of the case, the family can continue with the claim on his or her behalf.

However, if your family member has an industrial disease and later dies from an unrelated incident, you would have three years to claim in respect of the work related illness from the date they knew or ought to have known they were suffering from the condition, not from the date of the unrelated death.

You can make a claim up to three years from the date the you knew or ought to have known that you were suffering from a work-related illness, or three years from the date of last exposure to any substance or process which has caused the condition (whichever is the later date).

Given that many industrial diseases take a long time to develop, it may be that you need to make a claim decades after the firm responsible for your illness has ceased to trade. But, as long as it is within three years of diagnosis of an industrial disease, it may still be possible to claim compensation when retired or no longer work for the former employer responsible for causing your illness.