AUSTRALIANS UNAWARE OF ASBESTOS LEGAL RIGHTS

Lawyer Joanne Wade specialises in claims for asbestos and dust related diseases.

GEOFF VIVIAN

A lawyer specialising in compensation claims for people suffering from asbestos-related dieseases says many Australians with the conditions still do not know enough about their rights to compensation.

Joanne Wade said for people who found out they had asbestosis or mesothelioma, it was important to seek legal advice as soon as possible as people in WA had only three years to make a claim, from the time the disease was diagnosed.

She said a claim should also be started while the victim was still alive.

“It makes it very difficult to then bring a claim if someone has sadly passed away,” she said.