Compensation recovered for wife of former power station fitter’s mate who died of mesothelioma

Jonathan Herbert, specialist industrial disease lawyer acting for the claimant successfully settled a claim on behalf of the executors of Mr V’s estate to compensate for his pain and suffering and financial losses due to death from mesothelioma caused by negligent exposure to asbestos dust when working as a fitter’s mate for the CEGB at Croydon A power station from 1966/7 to 1967/8.

Asbestos was used extensively at Croydon A power station with teams of laggers employed for maintenance.

Over 50 years later, Mr V developed mesothelioma as a result of being negligently exposed to large quantities of asbestos dust on a daily basis.  His duties involved hacking old asbestos lagging off pipework.  This work generated large quantities of asbestos dust into the atmosphere.  Sometimes he and his colleagues played with asbestos lagging, making little balls from it which they fired like pea shooters.  Asbestos dust settled on the deceased’s clothing and in his hair.  No mask or other kind of protective equipment was provided for his use

Mesothelioma was not diagnosed during Mr V’s lifetime and imaging raised the possibility of lung cancer as well.  We were instructed after Mr V died so were not able to take a statement from him.  Fortunately, his wife remained in contact with former colleagues and they gave statements.  Whilst the employer admitting negligent exposure to asbestos dust promptly, it challenged Mr V’s life expectancy but for mesothelioma requiring expert evidence to be obtained from a radiologist, and a histopathologist as well as a respiratory physician.  Prior to trial, a settlement of £150,000 was agreed

Jonathan Herbert is a personal injury lawyer who specialises in industrial disease cases.  If you would like to ask him a question about a potential case, or if you have a general query about any personal injury, contact Jonathan at Thomson Snell & Passmore solicitors on 01892 701226 in confidence. We can act on a ‘no win. no fee’ basis on the majority of cases.