July 20th, 2009
A man who was exposed to asbestos during his time as a hospital plumber is to receive £175,000 in compensation.
Alan Ward, 61, developed cancer of the lung lining recently and now may only have months to live.
He took legal action against the unnamed hospitals in Wakefield, where he worked between 1964 and 1972.
Mr Ward claimed that his employers had never explained the dangers of asbestos and had allowed their workers to remove panels of it without masks.
This week, he has been awarded compensation to assist him with his everyday needs in the coming months.
"I am pleased to have received compensation, as it will help cover the cost of living when my health fails further," he commented to the Telegraph.
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 as Mr Ward did, they may be able to make a claim for compensation as a result.
Tags: Alan Ward, Asbestos, Cancer Of The Lung, Decades, Early 1900s, Exposed, Health Hazard, Hospitals, Masks, Mr Ward, Negligence, Plumber, Telegraph, Wakefield
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
May 20th, 2009
A man who is dying of terminal lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos as a teenager is to be paid £400,000 compensation.
David Smith, now 56, worked as an apprentice for Associated Electrical Industries at Trafford Park maintaining street lights when he was 15, the Manchester Evening News reports.
It is thought that this was the place where he was exposed to the deadly building fibres.
"I had no idea what we were working with could be so dangerous. We had no protection from the dust, it used to fall on me all the time," said Mr Smith.
He became ill in 2007 and was told he only had another 12 to 15 months to live. To provide for his family after his death, Mr Smith launched legal action against Associated Electrical Industries, now Alstom Energy.
The company has now agreed to a compensation settlement of £400,000 for Mr Smith, but declined to comment on the case.
Earlier this month, it was reported by Get Reading that the widow of a labourer, George Sharpe, is seeking compensation after his death from asbestos-related cancer.
Tags: 15 Months, Alstom, Apprentice, Asbestos, David Smith, Electrical Industries, George Sharpe, Labourer, Lung Cancer, Manchester Evening News, Mr Smith, News Reports, Quot, Teenager, Terminal Lung Cancer
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
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
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
February 6th, 2009
A man whose wife died from mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos as a factory worker in the 1960s is appealing for her fellow workers to come forward in order to assist him in his claim fro compensation.
Diane Pritchard, 58, worked at the former Jackson Electric factory in Bristol from 1967 to 1969.
It is here that the family believes she was exposed to the deadly building material from testing heaters and assembling cookers.
Derrick Pritchard launched a claim for compensation after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2005 and died just over two years later.
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: 1960s, Asbestos, Bristol, Building Material, Decades, Derrick, Early 1900s, Electric Factory, Factory Worker, Fellow Workers, Former Jackson, Health Hazard, Material Testing, Mesothelioma, Negligence, Pritchard, Terminal Cancer, Wife Exposed
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
December 4th, 2008
A man whose father died from asbestos-related cancer has launched a battle for compensation on his behalf.
Leslie Wood, 87, died from mesothelioma – which was caused by asbestos poisoning – last year, the Norwich Evening News reports.
He was a retired carpenter, but may have come into contact with asbestos at several points during his working life.
His son Ivor Wood is now calling for anyone who may have information about his father and his exposure to the deadly building material to come forward.
"This is not about compensation, but for justice to the suffering people have had to endure. To think there are still people out there now who are risking their lives and working with asbestos, something needs to be done," said Mr Wood Jr.
Last month, 68-year-old Gerald Chumley was awarded compensation of £110,000 when he developed mesothelioma after working for the Western National Omnibus Company, ThisisDevon.co.uk reported.
Tags: Asbestos, Building Material, Cancer, Carpenter, Chumley, Leslie Wood, Mesothelioma, Mr Wood, News Reports, Norwich, Risking Their Lives, Several Points, Suffering, Wood Jr
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
