Our asbestos disease solicitors helped a widow claim compensation from her husband’s former employers after he died of asbestos-related cancer.
Mary lost her husband, Alan, in 2016. Alan was 81 when he died from mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos.
Mary contacted our asbestos lawyers to help her find out how Alan got mesothelioma. At the time of Alan’s death, Mary was financially dependent on him. She also had severe hearing problems and Alan was always by her side to help her cope. Now that Mary was alone, she needed financial support to help her in future.
How We Helped
Our team, led by Nicola Handley, worked with Mary to investigate how and when Alan was exposed to asbestos. From the information Mary gave us, we found that Alan worked as a project engineer for most of his life. He spent a significant time working for Nestle at Rowntrees factory in York from 1961 to 1993.
This job meant he worked closely with on-site plumbers and he’d often be near these plumbers when they removed old asbestos materials from pipework. This meant he spent many years inhaling asbestos particles and dust.
Nicola and her team investigated the working conditions of Rowntree factory during the time Alan worked there. We also asked members of the public to come forward with any information that could help. Many people gave us helpful details about the factory and we created witness statements from their information.
It became clear that a lot of work around the factory involved removing old asbestos insulation from pipework. While doing this work, the factory didn’t give their employees proper protection. It was only in the 1980s that the factory started putting safety precautions in place which meant they knew that asbestos was dangerous. By this time Alan had spent 20 years working in close contact with asbestos.
With this information, we helped Mary make a compensation claim against Nestle who should have provided their employees with better protection against asbestos.
A Successful Settlement
After we submitted Mary’s claim, Nestle agreed to a settlement that would be enough to give Mary the financial support she needed.
Mary said:
“It was truly awful to see how mesothelioma affected [Alan] in the final months of his life and I still miss him so much and think of him every day. Prior to Alan’s death he was still living life to the full.
“Receiving this settlement is very welcome and I was hugely touched by the support from those who came forward after we appealed for information regarding conditions at the Rowntrees site. I want to say thank you to everyone that helped, as now I truly feel like justice has been done.”
Solicitor Nicola Handley said:
“This is sadly yet another awful case which puts a spotlight on the terrible consequences that asbestos exposure can lead to.
“We are delighted to have secured this settlement and we hope it will provide her with some vital financial support in the years ahead without Alan."
Asbestos related diseases are devastating and Irwin Mitchell has handled these types of claims for over 35 years. If you or a loved one is affected by an asbestos related disease, contact our solicitors today on 0370 1500 100.
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