March 6th, 2009
A man who worked as a labourer in London during the 1970s has secured a compensation payout from his former employers after going on to develop an industrial disease as a pensioner.
James McGovern, now 73, worked for John Mowlem, where his roles included rebuilding the King William Street Bridge and removing roof sheets that, unbeknown to him, were lined with asbestos.
He is now suffering from the asbestos-induced cancer mesothelioma.
Mr McGovern launched legal action against Mr Mowlem, who initially denied the allegations.
However, two days before the case was due to go to trial, the company admitted liability and has agreed to an undisclosed payout for Mr McGovern.
His legal representative said the compensation was a "huge relief" for Mr McGovern given that his elderly wife would not be able to care for him in the late stages of his cancer.
Meanwhile, new research published in the British Journal of Cancer has stated that as many as one in 17 British carpenters born in the 1940s could die from mesothelioma after their exposure to asbestos.
Tags: 1940s, 1970s, Allegations, Asbestos, British Journal Of Cancer, Cancer Mesothelioma, Carpenters, Elderly Wife, James Mcgovern, John Mowlem, King William Street, Labourer, Legal Representative, London, Pensioner, Roof Sheets, Street Bridge
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February 24th, 2009
An inquiry into how haemophilia patients became infected with HIV and hepatitis after receiving contaminated blood from abroad has recommended that the victims be paid compensation.
Some 4,670 people were infected with Hepatitis C in what Lord Manchester called the "worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS" during the 1970s and 1980s.
The inquiry concluded that the government "procrastinated" in its management of the blood in that it knew it may be contaminated and that had it acted quicker, the haemophiliacs would not have been exposed to risks.
The affected patients could now receive up to £350,000 in compensation, as well as free prescriptions, physiotherapy and home nursing.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health said it would look into the findings of the inquiry.
Haemophilia is a blood condition in which an essential clotting factor is either partly or completely missing. According to Haemophilia.org, about 6,000 people are affected with haemophilia in the UK.
Tags: 000 People, 1970s, 1980s, Blood Condition, Blood Victims, Clotting Factor, Contaminated Blood, Department Of Health, Disaster, Free Prescriptions, Haemophilia, Haemophiliacs, Hepatitis, Hepatitis C, Hiv, Physiotherapy, Quot, Spokesperson
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January 8th, 2009
A woman who is suffering with the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma is suing the council responsible for her old school after claiming that she was exposed to the deadly building material there.
The unnamed 48-year-old has launched legal action against Knowsley council, claiming that a refit of Bowring Comprehensive during the 1970s led to dangerous levels of asbestos in the air.
"I have been very poorly with the illness. I hope no other pupils end up in the same boat as me," she commented to the Liverpool Echo, adding that she has undergone extensive chemotherapy and surgery since her diagnosis in 2007.
A spokesperson for Knowsley council said it intends to contest the woman’s claims.
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.
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: 1970s, Asbestos Cancer, Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Mesothelioma, Building Material, Cancer Mesothelioma, Chemotherapy, Dangerous Levels, Decades, Diagnosis, Early 1900s, Health Hazard, Knowsley Council, Liverpool Echo, Negligence, Old School, Pupils, Spokesperson, Woman
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November 28th, 2008
Bowthorpe 53-year-old Ivor Woods has vowed to seek compensation for his father’s death from mesothelioma, the Norwich Evening News has reported.
Leslie Woods was exposed to asbestos during his career as a carpenter, which resulted in the malignant lung condition that took his life at the age of 87 in September last year.
However, his son is not sure precisely where or when the exposure took place and is asking for information that could help him identify the location.
He believes his father may have come into contact with asbestos at a number of hospitals in London during the 1970s when he was employed by Anglian Widows.
A spokesman for Anglian Home Improvements said the company could not comment on the case before it gains specific details of how, when and where Mr Woods worked for them.
Giving insight into why he is seeking compensation, Mr Woods said: "I never want to see anyone be so afraid through struggling to breath and be so scared as he was in his final hours."
The Health & Safety Executive recently launched a campaign designed to raise awareness that asbestos is still a danger to workers, particularly those in the construction industry.
Tags: 1970s, Amp, Anglian Home Improvements, Asbestos, Career, Carpenter, Compensation Claim, Construction Industry, Health, Hospitals In London, Insight, Leslie Woods, Lung Condition, Mesothelioma, Norwich, Safety Executive, Spokesman, Widows
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