asbestos compensation

Updated 3 Feb 2026

Asbestos Compensation Payouts 2026: Solicitor Calculations of Lung Disease Claim Amounts

In this article we calculate the amount of compensation your asbestos injury claim is worth. Access our quick reference payouts table for all manner of lung diseases caused by asbestos exposure, including asbestosis, pleural thickening, lung cancer and mesothelioma (not only affecting the lung linings, but also the linings of other organs of the body, e,g the heart).

Finally – access our payouts table for other industrial injuries with options of online free specialist solicitor help.

Payouts Table 2026 For Asbestos Compensation Claims

We start this article with a concise table of payout amounts for pain, suffering and loss of amenity for asbestos compensation claims.

Asbestos ClaimCompensation Payout
Asbestosis / Pleural Thickening
Up to 10% Lung Function Damage
Over 10% Lung Function Damage
£18,500 – £44,000
See asbestosis claim payouts
Asbestosis / Pleural Thickening
Over 10% Lung Function Damage
Breathlessness
£44,000 – £130,000
See asbestosis compensation payments
Lung Cancer£86,000 – £119,000
Mesothelioma£78,000 – £140,000
See mesothelioma claim payouts
Asbestos Compensation Claim Payouts Table

How Asbestos Compensation Payouts Are Calculated

Read on – later in this article you will discover both how pain and suffering payouts set out in our table are calculated coupled with the additional compensation for financial loss that you may be entitled to claim.

How does your solicitor calculate the amount of compensation you can claim?

Your industrial disease solicitor is able to value pain and suffering for your occupational injury by:

Firstly – looking at the latest asbestos compensation judicial guidance; and

Secondly – comparing your specific injury (as set out in an independent medical report) to cases decided in the past by the UK courts for similar injuries.

Increases In Compensation For Inflation

If a past claim was decided some years ago then rest assured your lawyer will increase the payout in line with inflation, before using it to value your injury as at today’s date.

Are there any other types of loss you can claim in addition to pain and suffering?

“Yes” – in addition to an asbestos compensation payout for pain and suffering you can claim compensation for financial loss and expense. For example – lost income, medical expenses and care and assistance in the home.

Your solicitor will calculate this loss as it relates specifically to you.

Keep A Record And Receipts To Support Your Losses

Your solicitor can only rely on the details and receipts you supply to support your losses, so keep a diary with receipts of all expenses you incur.

The asbestos condition compensation payout for pain and suffering depends upon the type of lung disease you experience.

As a rough guideline, you could expect to receive the following amounts:

Asbestosis & Pleural Thickening

The amount of pleural thickening and asbestosis compensation depends on how bad your lungs are affected by the condition.

Up to 10% lung function impairment

However – if your lung function impairment is no more than 10% you can expect compensation of between £18,500 – £44,000.

In excess of 10% lung function impairment

Whereas, if your asbestosis / pleural thinking lung function impairment is more than 10% (coupled with symptoms of breathlessness) – average compensation payouts are typically calculated between £44,000 – £130,000.

asbestos lung disease compensation
Asbestos Lung Disease Compensation

Lung cancer is not as painful as mesothelioma, but will usually cause death. The amount of your compensation payout depends on how long and how painful the symptoms are, but it is normally worth between £86,000 – £119,000.

Mesothelioma Payouts

Mesothelioma is a very painful condition and will usually result in premature death. We have written detailed articles explaining how to calculate compensation for mesothelioma and how to claim for mesothelioma. The amount of mesothelioma compensation depends on how long the symptoms last, but your claim payout is typically between £78,000 – £140,000.

Many of the industrial diseases caused by asbestos fibres can result in death. However, the families of the deceased can continue a compensation claim on behalf of the deceased and in certain instances be able to make a claim in their own right for the loss of a loved one.

Other types of industrial injury claims

See our industrial disease claim article to find out what conditions can form part of your occupational injury claim.

Asbestos-related diseases are one type of industrial disease, but you may also suffer from other occupational conditions – see how much you can expect to receive when you claim compensation for two other industrial diseases: industrial deafness and repetitive strain injury.

In conclusion – in this article you have seen what the most common lung diseases caused by exposure to asbestos are. We have set out payout for asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma as well as explaining how your industrial injury solicitor knows the payout to claim on your behalf.

FREE – Specialist Solicitor Telephone / Online Help

Asbestos compensation claims are inherently complex, which is why we provide specialist solicitor free help. You can not only discuss your situation with a specialist solicitor free of charge, but also ask a question or have your claim assessed.