Mrs Leech was exposed to asbestos during the 1960s and 70s
“The whole ordeal made me feel powerless. My wife had been made ill by something I had no control over, that happened years before we married. Thompsons Solicitors helped me realise that I wasn’t alone and helped me throughout, for which I am extremely grateful.”Mr Leech Thompsons Solicitors asbestos disease client
The husband of a Yorkshire woman who died from an asbestos-related illness has received six-figure compensation with support from Thompsons Solicitors.
Mrs Leech died in January 2015, aged 75, after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lungs’ lining caused by the inhalation of asbestos.
She was exposed to asbestos washing the overalls of her first husband, who worked as an electrician’s mate for a manufacturing firm in Cleveland between 1968 and 1979. His colleagues would often be repairing nearby pipework, which would involve stripping and replacing asbestos lagging and the dust would settle on his clothes.
Mrs Leech would shake the asbestos dust off his clothing every day and sweep it up while cleaning, unaware of the dangers it can cause.
She later married her second husband, Mr Leech, who instructed asbestos disease specialists Thompsons Solicitors to make a compensation claim following her death.
“It was heart-breaking to see my fit and able wife deteriorate to the point that she couldn’t even get out of bed,” said Mr Leech. “I had briefly worked at the same factory as her first husband in 1970, before I had even met them. The conditions were so poor and dust would rarely, if ever, be sufficiently ventilated. I’m not at all surprised that her husband at the time would have been exposed to asbestos and brought it home on his clothes.
I cannot begin to imagine how tough this must have been for Mr Leech, and for his wife’s wider family. Their case highlights the catastrophic and far-reaching impact that asbestos has had across the UK, and the importance of raising awareness that people can receive help if they have developed a disease like mesothelioma.Gill Connelly of Thompsons Solicitors.
“The whole ordeal made me feel powerless. My wife had been made ill by something I had no control over, that happened years before we married. Thompsons Solicitors helped me realise that I wasn’t alone and helped me throughout, for which I am extremely grateful.”
Gill Connelly, of Thompsons Solicitors, said: “Asbestos diseases have claimed the lives of thousands of people, many of whom were exposed to asbestos in ship building, plumbing, electrical work and other manual roles where the substance was prevalent. In this case, it wasn’t Mrs Leech but her husband who worked with asbestos, but the residue that settled on his clothes was enough to cause significant damage to her lungs when she would clean them.
“I cannot begin to imagine how tough this must have been for Mr Leech, and for his wife’s wider family. Their case highlights the catastrophic and far-reaching impact that asbestos has had across the UK, and the importance of raising awareness that people can receive help if they have developed a disease like mesothelioma.”
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.