Exposed to asbestos when he was an apprentice boilermaker
The family of a grandfather who died two months after being diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer brought on by asbestos exposure has received substantial compensation from his former employer.
Roy Turner from Crewe, who was 88 when he died, had been exposed to asbestos when he was a 14-year-old apprentice boilermaker at the town’s locomotive works in 1939.
His railway career spanned over 20 years; in addition to training as a boilermaker he also spent time as a train guard and later as an inspector before retiring in 1992.
Mr Turner, who had been in good health and was otherwise enjoying his retirement, was given the shock diagnosis after collapsing at his home in October 2011. He died in December of that year.
Contacted industrial disease specialists Thompsons Solicitors
After being diagnosed with cancer, Mr Turner contacted industrial disease specialists Thompsons Solicitors to investigate his case, something which he did not live to see completed. His brother continued with the claim in memory.
Before he died Mr Turner said: “I was just a boy when I started working at Crewe Works and during that time must have spent almost every day working with asbestos. I had no idea that it was so dangerous and we weren’t told otherwise so I just got on with the job in hand.”
His brother Douglas said: “I could not be more grateful to Joanne and the team at Thompsons for seeing Roy’s case through to the end. They were brilliant.”
Joanne Keen from Thompsons Solicitors who represented Roy added: “Unfortunately, Roy’s is not an isolated case. We have supported many other ex-Crewe Works employees and their families after they were exposed to asbestos by one of Cheshire’s most well-known employers.
“Crewe Locomotive Works is a name which time and again is linked to cases of asbestos exposure which took place at a time when the dangers of working with asbestos were well known yet the management failed to properly provide their staff with the appropriate protective equipment.”
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.