9 Mar 2007
Asbestos-related diseases are thought to have caused more than 4,000 deaths last year in the UK, whilst many other people presented with the first symptoms of illness caused by exposure to asbestos. One of the worst diseases associated with asbestos is mesothelioma, for which there is no cure. Three recent successful claims show the levels of compensation currently being awarded to mesothelioma sufferers.
73-year-old David Ball worked for British Rail from 1949 to 1992 and was exposed to asbestos when spraying coaches at the wagon works in Derby. Mr Ball was neither provided with any protective equipment, such as a mask, nor was he warned about the dangers of working with asbestos. In 2005 he was diagnosed with mesothelioma and has recently won a six-figure sum in compensation from the British Railways Board.
Thomas George was just 16 when he began working as a lagger's mate for an insulation company. During 1956 and 1957 he was exposed to the deadly substance when mixing asbestos cement and stripping asbestos from pipes. He was not provided with any protective clothing or equipment. In early 2006 he noticed that his breathing was becoming laboured and was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He has been awarded £115,000 in compensation.
Beryl Jones worked in a factory in Neath between 1954 and 1968, firstly as a packer and then as a cleaner. Asbestos belts were used to move cans into the factory’s oven. Asbestos from the belts became airborne and Mrs Jones inhaled the dust. In 2001, she was diagnosed with mesothelioma and died four months later. Her son Keith brought an action, on behalf of his mother’s estate, against the companies involved and was awarded £60,000 in compensation.
Employers have a duty to provide protective clothing and equipment and to train those who work in dangerous conditions on how to do so safely. If you are injured as a result of your employer's failure to comply with health and safety law, you could be entitled to compensation.
