December 15th, 2008
A man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in the workplace is to receive a compensation payout from his former employers.
Tony Rima, 65, worked for British Rail during the 1950s and 1960s, where he repaired old railway carriages, the Swindon Advertiser report
It was there that he was exposed to the deadly fibres and dust of blue asbestos.
Mr Rima was diagnosed with the terminal cancer mesothelioma in August 2007 and began treatment, but also launched a compensation claim against British Rail, which he claimed failed to warn its workers of the dangers of asbestos and did not provide protection.
"British Rail has taken my life away. I felt extremely angry when I was diagnosed with mesothelioma and I wanted them to take responsibility," he commented.
Mr Rima is now to be paid compensation by British Rail, although the sum has not been disclosed. He added that he is pleased with the outcome as it will allow his wife to be provided for after his death.
If a person can prove they were exposed to asbestos at their place of work, they may be able to make a claim for compensation as a result.
In the UK a personal injury compensation claim for an asbestos-related disease or asbestos-related illness has to be started within three years of the date a person is informed of their condition by an appropriately qualified doctor.
Tags: 1950s, 1960s, Asbestos Case, Asbestos Disease, Asbestos Related Disease, British Rail, Cancer Mesothelioma, Fibres, Personal Injury Compensation, Personal Injury Compensation Claim, Railway Carriages, Rima, Swindon Advertiser, Terminal Cancer
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
December 8th, 2008
A pensioner whose wife died after years of washing his asbestos-contaminated clothes has received a compensation payout.
Alfred Eccles was exposed to the deadly material at the Universal Grinding Wheel Company in Stafford, where he worked from the 1960s to 1992, local paper the Sentinel attests.
Although he contracted lung cancer himself in 1988, it was not proven that this was as a result of his asbestos exposure and he recovered,
However, Patricia Eccles contracted mesothelioma and died in 2004 and Mr Eccles sought legal action for her death.
In a new development, the court ruled that his wife died as a result of her exposure to asbestos and Mr Eccles will now receive a compensation payout of £250,000.
This will cover the long-term care of their daughter, who has cerebral palsy, Mr Eccles said.
Exposure to asbestos has been recognised as a health hazard since the early 1900s, although many workers were exposed to the substance decades after this.
Family members and those living with asbestos workers can also develop cancer from inhaling particles left on clothes.
If a person can prove they were exposed to asbestos as a result of negligence, they may be able to make a claim for compensation as a result.
Tags: 1960s, Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Workers, Cerebral Palsy, Decades, Early 1900s, Eccles, Family Members, Health Hazard, Long Term Care, Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma, Negligence, Oap, Particles, Pensioner, Sentinel, Universal Grinding Wheel, Washing Clothes
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
