Our specialist asbestos claims lawyers have secured a six-figure compensation sum for a man who was almost forced to sell his home after contracting mesothelioma while working as a plumber’s mate.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer typically caused by exposure to asbestos dust and fibres. Mr W. was diagnosed with the disease shortly after his wife had also died of cancer. The increased living costs involved with his illness forced Mr W. to re-mortgage his house and he began to fall behind with his payments too. He faced the terrible consequence of having to sell his home and leaving behind cherished memories of his recently lost wife.
Before this happened, Mr W. asked our personal injury solicitors to investigate when his asbestos exposure could have happened. It was a complicated task because Mr W. had a very extensive work history with a mixture of self-employment, agency work and temporary jobs. Isabelle Selley, the Irwin Mitchell Associate running the case, found that the best prospect of a successful compensation claim was against Wandsworth Council (formerly Battersea Borough Council).
Mr W. worked on different jobs during his employment as a plumbers’ mate with Battersea Borough Council, including the refurbishment of council properties in the area. During the refurbishment, Mr W. was responsible for pulling out old boilers and all the attached asbestos insulation. He often worked in confined areas with carpenters and electricians, whose work also released asbestos fibres into the air Mr W. was breathing.
Unfortunately, Mr W had lost contact with any former colleagues so there was no evidence to corroborate his memory of asbestos in the workplace. Nonetheless, our mesothelioma claims solicitors managed to secure compensation of £140,000 within 5 months of meeting Mr W. As Isabelle Selley describes, “this quick settlement ensured that he could remain living in his home and gave him the peace of mind that he would also be able to pay for his own future private care costs if necessary. This was a huge help to the client’s daughter who, in addition to working fulltime, was caring for her adult daughter who had a life-changing disease.”
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be able to make a mesothelioma compensation claim. See our Asbestos Claims page or call us on 0370 1500 100 to find out more.
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