Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Widow of Former Joiner Makes Successful Asbestosis Claim
11th January 2012
In a recent case, our specialist industrial disease lawyers acted on behalf of a woman whose late husband contracted asbestosis due to his previous working conditions.
Asbestos Exposure at Work
Our client’s husband was exposed to asbestos when he worked as a carpenter / joiner. He worked on a variety of public and commercial buildings, including factories and hospitals, and his role involved both the construction of new buildings and the refurbishment of existing buildings.
Through this job, he worked extensively with asbestos. He worked near colleagues lagging pipes with asbestos and also used it himself, cutting asbestos sheets by hand and working with products containing asbestos, such as roof coverings. This work was very dusty and he would often be covered in dust by the end of the day.
At no point was our client’s husband ever warned about the serious health risks of working with asbestos and he was not provided with protective equipment to prevent him from inhaling asbestos fibres.
He went on to develop asbestosis, a debilitating and incurable respiratory disease caused by exposure to asbestos, and sadly died because of this illness.
Compensation Claim
Employers have long been aware of the dangers of asbestos, however in this case no adequate measures were put in place to protect the health of our client’s husband. His employer allowed the work environment to be contaminated with asbestos dust and did not provide respiratory protection or other safety measures to protect employees.
Our client felt that her husband’s employer was to blame for his illness and she approached us for help with a compensation claim. Claims for asbestos-related diseases can be complicated by the fact that they develop many years after a person is exposed to asbestos, so the employer in question may no longer be trading. This was the case here and it was necessary for us to trace the employer’s insurance company so that a claim could be brought.
We obtained medical evidence and also witness evidence from a former colleague of our client’s husband. Although the insurers denied liability, we continued the case against them and secured compensation for our client.
Industrial Disease Advice
If you or a family member is suffering from a work-related disease, or a loved one has died due to an industrial illness, we can provide the expert legal advice you need on a cost-free, confidential basis.
Contact The Legal Line on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online.
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