Exposed to asbestos while working as a labourer in the 1960s
The family of a man who died from asbestos-related lung cancer has successfully recovered thousands of pounds for the hospice who cared for him during his final days.
Thanks to the family’s efforts, and support from industrial disease specialists Thompsons Solicitors, the St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds will recoup vital funds that will allow them to continue to provide care for people who are terminally ill.
The dad of four, who also had four grandchildren, died in October 2007 after being diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2007. He had been exposed to asbestos while working as a labourer in and around Leeds in the 1960s.
He contacted Thompsons Solicitors to investigate his case
After being diagnosed, he contacted Thompsons Solicitors to investigate his case as he was concerned about his wife’s financial security in the event of his death.
His son said: “When dad was diagnosed with lung cancer his first thoughts were for my mum and her future. It was important to him to claim compensation to ensure that she was looked after but sadly we lost them both before the case came to a conclusion.
“My family felt strongly about continuing with the claim when we found out that we could help the hospice who cared for Dad. We asked Thompsons to make sure the employers who had caused Dad’s death had to pay the hospice for his care. It meant a lot to us that the hospice was recognised for the support it gave him and we are pleased that claiming compensation has allowed us to do that.”
Helen Tomlin at Thompsons Solicitors said: “Our client was exposed to asbestos when he was a young labourer and had no idea the impact the dust would have on his health in later years. Sadly the cancer was very aggressive and the claim came to a conclusion after he passed away.
“We are pleased we have been able to help the family secure compensation for St Gemma’s Hospice who provided excellent care to our client during the final stages of his illness.”
We rely on donations from the community to fund the majority of those costs
Gail Chapman from St Gemma’s Hospice added: “At St Gemma’s Hospice we provide a range of specialist services for people with life threatening illnesses. All the care we provide is free of charge to patients and their families. Many of our patients suffer from cancer and our specialist team works hard to make our patients as comfortable as possible.
“This compensation will help us to continue to provide services to the people of Leeds. It costs us £8m a year to run the hospice and we rely on donations from the community to fund the majority of those costs. We would like to thank everyone involved for their support.”
Asbestos disease diagnosis? Talk to us for advice and support on how to secure compensation.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we can support you with advice on how to make a claim.
The process will be explained in plain English and with no obligation – our priority is to provide you with the best, expert advice on whether you have a valid case for compensation, and to signpost you to further sources of support.
There are strict time limits applied to making a claim – usually three years from the date of diagnosis. It doesn’t matter if the exposure to asbestos took place – as it often does – decades ago, the three year time limit applies to the date of knowledge of diagnosis or date of death.
For further information, visit our How to Make A Compensation Claim page.