Widow of Former Electrician Receives Compensation against Husband’s Former Employers Following His Exposure to Asbestos and Premature Death

Mr M, a former electrician from Hailsham passed away from Mesothelioma less than a year after his diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Mr M had been exposed to asbestos dust whilst working as an electrician with 3 employers from 1960-1992.

His work involved him installing electrical cabling in housing and re-wiring of old houses, some of which had asbestos roofs. He also worked on many farm buildings that were constructed from asbestos sheeting. For one company he had to demolish an asbestos building. None of his employers took steps to protect him from the dangers posed by asbestos dust and fibres.

Mr M started suffering with shortness of breath and chest pain in late 2018 and following investigations for his continuing symptoms he was diagnosed with mesothelioma (a cancer that most commonly starts in the lining of the lungs) in June 2019. Despite undergoing extensive and gruelling treatment, including 3 cycles of chemotherapy, Mr M sadly succumbed to mesothelioma at age 75 – less than a year following his diagnosis – with his death being recorded as due to Covid 19 and to Mesothelioma.

No inquest was held, but crucially the medical expert instructed by Hodge Jones and Allen to prepare a medical report regarding Mr M’s condition, confirmed that Mesothelioma was in fact the principal cause of death, causing Mr M to be vulnerable to Covid 19. This meant that the claim for losses due to death, including his widow’s dependency could be pursued.

Although the insurers for one of Mr M’s employers could not be traced, insurers for the other 2 employers were notified of Mr M’s claim. Neither insurer responded to the claim until threatened with Court proceedings when one Defendant accepted the Claimant’s offer, which was significantly higher than the offer made by the Defendant.

This case illustrates that the selection of experts is crucial to success in these cases – something which a specialist solicitor experienced in Asbestos claims can gauge. It also demonstrates the advances to clients of experienced solicitors who are robust in their negotiations as Mr M’s widow received a considerable sum of compensation.

Solicitor Isobel Lovett, who dealt with Mr M’s claim said:

“Mesothelioma cases are a complex area of the law and it is essential that only specialist lawyers who deal with these cases on a daily basis pursue them. Our Asbestos Team lawyers have decades of experience between them and know asbestos disease cases inside out. They treat every client as an individual and strive to take away the worry of a legal claim”