If you have been told that you have mesothelioma, you may be able to claim compensation.

John Pickering and Partners LLP is a specialist law firm with almost 30 years' experience of our solicitors winning compensation claims for mesothelioma sufferers. We have represented sufferers and their families in most of the important test cases for mesothelioma and other types of asbestos disease - see a list of some of our important cases here. We represented Alice Jefferson, a woman who developed mesothelioma from her work with asbestos at the notorious Acre Mill, run by Cape Asbestos in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, and who featured in the harrowing 1982 TV documentary, "Alice: A Fight For Life"

We are committed to pursuing mesothelioma claims urgently, and we try to get a result within 3 to 6 months from first contact with a sufferer, to give them the best chance of peace of mind and financial security before they become too ill. This is not always possible - it is sometimes difficult or impossible to trace a company that employed you 30 or 40 years ago, or its insurer - but our experience of handling thousands of mesothelioma claims has given us a wealth of information on small and large employers alike, and has taught us ways of uncovering hidden information that can make or break a case.

Some cases are more difficult than others. A difficult mesothelioma claim may take longer, but we do not turn away more complicated claims that other solicitors might refuse to take on. We can't guarantee that you will win, but we will give you an honest and expert opinion on the prospects of your case, as early as we can.

Your case will be allocated to a qualified solicitor, experienced in asbestos claims. We are members of the Law Society's personal injury panel and many of our solicitors are also accredited as injury claim experts by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

To get a result as early as possible in your mesothelioma claim, we usually have to start a court action. Our experience is that negotiation in urgent mesothelioma cases doesn't work without the pressure of court action on your opponent. We use special court procedures for mesothelioma claims to get them pushed through the court system quickly. But it is unusual for a mesothelioma claim to get as far as a court hearing - when it comes to the crunch, your opponent will generally pay up rather than risk losing in court. Some solicitors think it's better to negotiate as far as possible before starting a court action. It isn't - for a mesothelioma sufferer, that approach just takes too long and the compensation on offer, if there is any offer, tends to be lower.

We only represent people claiming compensation. We never represent their employers or other organisations responsible for inflicting asbestos illnesses, or the insurers of those organisations. We believe that it would not be ethical for us to do so. We feel that it would be against the interests of asbestos disease sufferers. Not all law firms take the same view. Some represent both victims that make compensation claims and the employers and insurance companies that fight claims and try to delay or get out of paying compensation.

Click here for more information about mesothelioma and how mesothelioma claims work in practice.

Contact us to find out if you can claim for mesothelioma or other asbestos related conditions.