Our asbestos solicitors helped a former electrician’s widow make a successful claim against his former employer for lung cancer he developed due to asbestos exposure.
James* worked as an electrician in Plymouth for the Ministry of Defence many decades ago. He spent a large amount of time refitting ships in the Plymouth dockyard.
During this time, he stripped and refitted asbestos lagging (asbestos fitted around pipes for insulation). This work put James in direct contact with high levels of asbestos fibres over a long period of time.
The Dispute
In later life, he developed lung cancer and medical advisors told him his asbestos exposure was most likely the cause.
James and his wife initially spoke to another law firm to see if they could help. They incorrectly told him that a compensation claim would fail because he had been a heavy smoker throughout his life.
Acting on a recommendation, James then contacted our asbestos lawyers to see if we could help. We met with him and his wife and by this stage he was very sick. Our asbestos solicitors were confident that we could make a successful claim against the Ministry of Defence.
How We Helped
Sadly, James died soon after our meeting. We continued to make a claim on behalf of his estate to ensure his widow would be looked after now James was gone.
We gathered evidence from former colleagues who worked with James in Plymouth. With these witness statements, we made a claim against the Ministry of Defence and secured a six-figure settlement without going to court.
We were also able to recover the costs for the James’ hospice. James’ widow was pleased to be able to pass this on to the hospice that had given the family much-needed support.
The settlement has helped relieve James’ widow’s financial worries. She can now have some peace going forward in knowing James got some justice.
"Asbestos related diseases are very distressing especially because they can happen long after exposure. We're glad we were able to give James' wife some justice and comfort even though nothing can make the loss of a loved one any better. Employers have a duty to ensure their workers carry out their jobs in a safe environment. The consequences of not doing this can be devastating" - Isabelle Selley, senior associate solicitor
If you or a loved one has an asbestos related disease we could help you make a claim. Contact us online or call us on 0370 1500 100.
*Not client’s real name
Back to Client Stories
