For three centuries, the world considered asbestos a wonder material. Tough, durable, and heat-resistant, this versatile material dominated the building industry. But in the last eight decades before the UK ban in 1999, asbestos dominated the news for its negative health effects. Asbestos exposure claims hit the courts as victims sought compensation. As a victim, here’s everything you need to know about these claims. The History of Asbestos When it first came into use in the early 1700s, the Industrial Revolution was at its peak. Back then, the manufacturing and building industries were searching for a strong, durable, and – more importantly – a fire-resistant material. After they found these qualities in a new, fibrous, silicate mineral called asbestos, they quickly incorporated it into their operations. How Asbestos Was Used Suddenly, the mineral appeared in insulation panels, fire doors, gutters, tiles, and even wall plaster. And being fibrous, it also found a place in the textile industry. For the next two hundred years, the material remained an integral part of the UK industry. Medical Research into Asbestos Exposure But by the early 1900s, the fibres giving asbestos its famous qualities came under the scrutiny of the medical fraternity. Doctors suspected…