Retired officer compensated after lung condition
The widow of a retired police officer has received a substantial sum in compensation following the death of her husband, resulting from asbestos related diseases.
The man was diagnosed with cancer of the lining of the lungs, mesothelioma, in April 2008 after complaining of a burning sensation in his shoulder. He was told he had just three months to live but died a year later in February 2009 aged 67.
The man was exposed to asbestos between 1964 and 1970, while working for a large engineering company based on the south bank of the River Thames.
The man’s job as a fitter's mate brought him into contact with asbestos while undertaking different tasks including changing brakes on the cranes.
He left the company in 1970 and to become a police officer, where he was based at Kennington and Catford stations until he retired in 2001.
Officer claims for asbestos-related conditions
Following his diagnosis he contacted asbestos claims specialists at a no win no fee solicitor's firm to find out advice on claiming for compensation.
The legal firm brought a claim against the big sister firm, on behalf of the man which they alleged was responsible for the liabilities of little sister company, after it went into receivership.
The major business initially denied that the man was ever employed by any company for which they were responsible. A protracted legal dispute followed which centred on the complex structure of the companies. The legal firm pursued the claim through the courts but sadly the man died before judgment was obtained.
Speaking after the success of her husband's claim, his wife said: "My husband felt strongly about claiming compensation because he wanted to make sure that I was ok.
"Now I don't have to worry about the bills but I would throw it all away if I thought it would bring him back. We were coming up to our 40th wedding anniversary but we never quite made it."
Andrew Venn from the no win no fee solicitor's firm added: "[The company] strenuously resisted the claim from beginning to end meaning our client never saw this compensation during his lifetime. The company disputed which one of a large number of subsidiaries that he worked for."
Mr Venn added: "Many of the companies in the group were defunct and uninsured. It took a great deal of investigation and persistence to bring the claim to a successful conclusion."
Pensioner fighting for compensation
In a related case, a retired engineer who developed cancer after being exposed to asbestos at work during the 1950s, is hoping that former colleagues will come forward to help in his fight for compensation, for his personal injuries.
The 72-year-old man who worked for a motor firm for five years, is now hoping that former colleagues from the manufacturing plant can provide help, as he fights to be compensated for the condition.
He added: "I started my apprenticeship at the ite in Leyland, where I made and repaired vehicle parts for buses and lorries. My work included producing parts, stampings and drop forgings, and I would also repair faulty vehicle parts.
"In late 1954 I was transferred to the Farington site, where I worked in the maintenance department and the foundry," he said.
The man went on to explain his working conditions, saying: "There was pipe work all over the foundry. Pipes ran up and around the outer walls, along gantry supports, and to the furnaces and the machinery. I remember being told that all of this pipe work was lagged with asbestos.
"The pipe work was old and in a very poor condition. I can remember seeing where the lagging had been painted over, but the paint had flaked leaving the asbestos exposed. The lagging itself was also old and falling off."
Susan Dawson, an industrial disease specialist with a legal firm, and is representing the man in his fight for compensation, said it can take many years after exposure to asbestos before any related disease becomes apparent, which can make finding witnesses to support a case very difficult.
She also said: "Unless we can prove that he was exposed to asbestos, my client may go uncompensated for the fact that he has contracted this dreadful disease through no fault of his own. All he did was go to work. Hopefully with the help of his former colleagues, he can win his fight for justice."
Updated on 11/01/2010