Mesothelioma Compensation
Thompsons Solicitors has secured compensation for the family of a Lancashire man who sadly died from asbestos-related mesothelioma.
Thompsons has settled a claim worth more than £74,000 after the 65-year-old was exposed to asbestos while working for JW Roberts, a former Chorley-based firm.
The claimant was a labourer for the firm, which is part of the now defunct Turner and Newall (T&N) group, and was exposed to asbestos while he worked there from 1961 to 1963, 1966 to 1967 and 1969 to 1970.
The claimant was diagnosed with mesothelioma in December 2006 and died in March this year.
Exposed to asbestos dust at work
Before he passed away he recalled being covered in asbestos dust as he put raw asbestos into a spraying machine as part of his job working inside railway carriages.
He said: “I was a Labourer and we were working inside the carriages spraying asbestos on to the ceilings. My workmate would be spraying the asbestos and it would shower down on to us. My job was to put the raw asbestos into a machine that then fed a tube to spray the asbestos.
“The asbestos I was loading into the machine was blue asbestos. We were never given any protective clothing, or ventilation or breathing equipment. We would be doing about two carriages a day. This was the only job I did for JW Roberts. I worked here for about 18 months to two years and this was all we did all day long every day.”
JW Roberts was part of T&N, which went into administration in 2001 meaning many claims for compensation were frozen.
Recently, following years of red tape, a pot of money was set-aside for those claiming for compensation from T&N’s businesses. However, claimants only receive a percentage of the money due to them.
Client representative from Thompsons Solicitors Liverpool office, Joanne Candlish said: “I am pleased we have been able to secure this money for the claimants family. However, due to the complexities of the T&N scheme and despite pressure from Thompsons to ensure the compensation was paid while the claimant was still alive, the trustees were unable to settle on this case until after the claimant’s death.
“Thompsons always takes aggressive legal action to ensure we secure the maximum amount of compensation in the shortest possible time.
“I hope this win will bring a sense of justice to the claimants family and will help them during this difficult time.”
Asbestos disease diagnosis? Talk to us for advice and support on how to secure compensation.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we can support you with advice on how to make a claim.
The process will be explained in plain English and with no obligation – our priority is to provide you with the best, expert advice on whether you have a valid case for compensation, and to signpost you to further sources of support.
There are strict time limits applied to making a claim – usually three years from the date of diagnosis. It doesn’t matter if the exposure to asbestos took place – as it often does – decades ago, the three year time limit applies to the date of knowledge of diagnosis or date of death.
For further information, visit our How to Make A Compensation Claim page.