Specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have secured a settlement for the widow of a man who developed the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma as a result of his occupational exposure to the substance over 50 years earlier.

Mr L sadly passed away as a result of his condition at the age of 83.  As a young man he was employed by Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd at their Birmingham plant, at Common Lane, Washwood Heath, between approximately 1950 and 1956.

He was employed as a welder. Metropolitan Cammell manufactured railway carriages which were lagged with asbestos as the carriage frames were put in place.

As a welder, Mr L was involved in assembling the frames before the coach body workers put the wooden panels of the carriages together.  He worked in the vicinity of the asbestos sprayers and was heavily exposed to asbestos dust on each occasion. At no point during the course of his employment was Mr L provided with any respiratory equipment to prevent him inhaling asbestos dust. He was never warned of the dangers of working with asbestos.

Mr L developed progressive respiratory symptoms including chest pain and shortness of breath. He was subsequently diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma.

The case was eventually concluded when a settlement was agreed with the defendants’ solicitors in the sum of £135,000.

Mark Lennon, a solicitor in the Birmingham office of national law firm Irwin Mitchell, represented the personal representatives of Mr L’s estate. He said: “Mr L was avoidably exposed to asbestos during his employment at Metropolitan Cammell.  Tragically he received the devastating news of his mesothelioma diagnosis, which brings such a poor prognosis that cruelly cut short his life.

"Sadly we continue to see cases like this where workers receive the terrible news that they are suffering from a condition such as mesothelioma.  Their illness and diagnosis comes many years after being negligently exposed to asbestos, at a time when employers should have known full well about the terrible risks associated with the material, but continued to use it in defiance of health and safety standards in place at the time.”

Our expert asbestos lawyers will provide you with free initial advice on your compensation claim if you or a loved one has suffered due to contracting mesothelioma. See our Mesothelioma Claims page for more information.

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