Mr S worked as a lagger for Smiths Insulation between 1966 and 1969.  The firm carried out insulation work on pipes, boilers and fridges, along with other insulation work.  Mr S worked mainly at two breweries where there was a large amount of insulated pipe at large sites in Burton upon Trent.  Mr S carried out repairs and replaced insulation, which involved taking off the old insulation, cutting new lengths of fibreglass, putting it on to the pipes and covering it with a mixture of asbestos and water, which Mr S mixed by hand.

The work meant exposure to large amounts of asbestos dust on a daily basis when doing his work and cleaning up afterwards. The asbestos mixture was applied by hand to pipes boilers.

During his work, Mr S was not provided with any masks or overalls or given warnings about the risk of exposure to asbestos.  He wore his own clothes which he brushed down at the end of the day.

In October 2014, Mr S was told that he had asbestosis after suffering from breathing problems and having x-rays, lung function tests and CT scans.  He now suffers from shortness of breath on exertion and is unable to carry out many of the activities that he used to enjoy, such as decorating and gardening.

Mr S contacted Graysons to see if he could claim compensation. It was a complex case in which it was difficult to decide on causation.  It proved difficult for the medical expert to determine what proportion of Mr S’ disability was caused by asbestos and he was only able to say that it had made a ‘material contribution’.

Belinda was able to negotiate a settlement of just over £40,000 (gross).

If you think that you, or a family member, may be suffering a disease as a result of exposure to asbestos, or if a relative has died as a result of a disease caused by exposure to it, please contact our experts now.  We will arrange a free of charge meeting in which we can discuss your case.  You can also find out more about asbestos-related diseases on our web pages.