The Godfather of Punk, Malcolm McLaren, passed away last week. The cause of his death is said to be mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is linked to exposure to asbestos. It is thought that he probably came in to contact with asbestos in a shop that he owned in the 1970s. It is common to think that asbestos and the diseases that it can cause are no longer a problem in this country. However, mesothelioma is currently the UK's number one occupational killer, accounting for around 2,500 deaths each year. Even though asbestos is now banned in the UK that number is set to rise because of the time period between exposure and symptoms occurring, which is, on average, 32 years. There is presently no cure for mesothelioma, although it is possible to have treatment to ease symptoms in some cases. The majority of people that suffer mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure will have come in to contact with it in their workplace. If that exposure was negligent, it may be possible to claim compensation. The Ministry of Justice has also recently announced measures to increase upfront payments to mesothelioma sufferers, along with plans to look at streamlining the process of pursuing a claim. Submitted by Abbi Stell
