Work clothes covered in asbestos dust
A Scunthorpe widower whose wife died from asbestos related cancer has received substantial compensation.
The 76-year-old was never warned of the health dangers of the dust, which can cause lung disease, including the fatal cancer mesothelioma.
The Steelworks employee for six years was exposed to asbestos on a daily basis in the 1970s. His wife would wash his work clothes which were covered in asbestos dust.
Diagnosed with mesothelioma
She first became unwell in the summer of 2005 but was not diagnosed with mesothelioma until April 2007. She sadly died just three months later, aged 69.
She left behind her husband, children, grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
The family felt it was important to claim compensation from her husband's former employers, who should have done more to protect him and his family from the dangers of asbestos.
Thompsons Solicitors made claim for compensation
They instructed Thompsons Solicitors to pursue a claim for mesothelioma compensation and Scunthorpe Steelworks settled the claim out of court.
The widower said: "I miss my wife terribly. We were married almost 50 years and I was devastated when she became ill.
"When we discovered her illness was caused by exposure to asbestos we knew that it must have been from the asbestos on my overalls. No-one warned us that we were carrying a killer home to our families."
Marion Voss from Thompsons Solicitors added: "This man worked hard all his life to provide for his family but had no idea in doing so that the asbestos which contaminated his work clothes would eventually cause the death of his wife. The employer knew or ought to have known at the time that asbestos posed a danger not only to workers but also their families and should have done more to protect them from the risks.”
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.