Asbestos-related litigation: UK Overview

By Rod Freeman, Christian Wells, Heather Gagen and Alex Woods, Hogan Lovells

As in many other countries in which asbestos-containing products were manufactured, sold and used, the UK has experienced the widespread effects of the asbestos tragedy. Statistics show that deaths from mesothelioma have increased over time in Great Britain from 153 in 1968 to 2,321 in 2009, with rates currently expected to peak in around the year 2016. The vast majority of those dying are men, usually as a result of exposure at work, most often in the construction industry. By the year 2050, the mesothelioma death toll could have reached as high as 150,000.