A Leeds based woman recently won her battle for justice after a court ruled that her mother was exposed to deadly asbestos dust while working at West Yorkshire scrap metal dealer.
Our client’s mother from Kippax, Leeds, died in 2009, after contracting the terminal lung disease mesothelioma as a result of being exposed to asbestos while working for the scrap metal dealer up until she retired. The Defendants denied she was exposed to asbestos at the company, forcing the family to go through a trial.
However, the judge at Leeds County Court ruled that her mother was exposed to asbestos during her 40 years working at the site, and this exposure caused her to develop mesothelioma later in her life.
Ben Mitchell, a specialist mesothelioma solicitor at our Leeds office, represented the family and said: “I am delighted the court has found in favour of our client. Having heard the evidence from the directors of the scrap metal dealer, the court was left with little option other than to conclude that our client’s mother was exposed to significant amounts of asbestos dust through no fault of her own.
“She worked in the same place on in Castleford for more than 40 years, doing hard, poorly paid work to support her family, and simply could not have contracted the illness anywhere else.”
She worked as a waste materials sorter at the firm, a job which involved sorting and clearing out industrial rags and materials contaminated with asbestos dust. The court also heard evidence that she had to sort out other asbestos contaminated industrial waste.
Our client was satisfied with the court’s decision and said: “Justice has been done, and whilst the damages may go some way to righting the wrong, I would happily give the money back and more, to have my mother still here.
“It has been upsetting the way the company responded to the claim. They admitted in court that they recalled my mother as being a loyal and helpful employee, yet steadfastly refused to admit that it was their actions, or lack of action, that had caused her suffering and led to her death.”
The Defendants were ordered to pay our client substantial damages plus her legal costs.
Our expert mesothelioma claims team will provide you with free initial advice on your compensation claim if you or a loved on has been diagnosed with mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. See our Asbestos-Related Disease Claims Guide for more information.
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