Mr S worked as a joiner since leaving school in 1964.  He worked for several employers, making window and door frames etc., and refurbishing properties.  He was exposed to asbestos through cutting the material or sweeping up afterwards and also when other people did the same and there was asbestos dust in the air.

No warnings of dangers due to exposure to asbestos

During the period 1983 – 1989, Mr S carried out joinery work when refurbishing houses and garages and where he was exposed to quite a lot of asbestos when repairing roofs that contained it.  He was never provided with a mask by his employer nor given any training on using, or warnings about the dangers of, asbestos.

Following this employment, Mr S worked for a couple more employers where he was exposed to asbestos.  During this time, the only protection given to him was a paper mask and basic paper overall – again with no training or warnings.

Exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma

In 2016, Mr S, who was then 67 years old, developed a cough that would not go away. He also began to feel generally unwell. Hospital scans and biopsies showed that he was suffering from mesothelioma and he was told he had 12 – 18 months to live.

A McMillan nurse referred Mr S to the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team (DAST) who told him that he should consider claiming compensation.  Mr S contacted Graysons and Belinda took up his case.  In mesothelioma cases, it can be difficult to pursue all previous employers and so compensation can be claimed from just one.  As some of Mr S’ previous employers had gone out of business, Belinda was able to negotiate a settlement of £150,000 from one of his previous employers and Mr S was extremely pleased with the settlement and with the service offered by Belinda, saying

“I feel that Belinda went the extra mile for myself.  She was very easy to get hold of, always returning calls if she was out of the office when I called.  I feel she made a difficult situation easier.”

If you, or a member of your family, are suffering due to exposure to asbestos during your working life, contact our experts now and we will discuss the possibility of claiming compensation for you. You may also be able to claim compensation if a member of your family has died due to exposure to asbestos. You can find out more about claiming compensation for asbestos-related diseases on our website.