An appeal for witnesses helped our client gain compensation after asbestos exposure
In this week’s case, our client managed to win compensation from his former employer after he was diagnosed with pleural thickening – a disease developed after asbestos exposure - despite initially there being no witnesses and no one to make a claim against.
The client believed that he had been exposed to asbestos during his employment at a ceramics plant in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the company that operated the plant where he worked had since gone bust.
Through an appeal for witnesses in local newspapers we were able to find people who had also worked at the plant and who could confirm that there was asbestos in the roof. We also traced the insurers of the former owners of the plant, enabling us to bring a claim on behalf of our client.
The insurers denied those that they insured were at fault and their legal team refused to even acknowledge our correspondence.
"We won’t give up seeking to track down those responsible for the asbestos exposure that too many have suffered. They must be held accountable."Lisa Gormley Senior asbestos solicitors
Thankfully, mere days before the trial, the insurers were forced to agree to a financial settlement for our client, which will help towards care they may require in the years to come.
Commenting after the case, Thompsons Solicitors’ Lisa Gormley said: “No one should be afraid of contracting a disease every time they go to work. Unfortunately, until the outlawing of asbestos in 1999, this was the reality for many.
“This particular case was made more difficult due to the insurer’s refusal to engage at all even though eventually they had to admit their insured were liable for the exposure. We won’t give up seeking to track down those responsible for asbestos exposure that too many have suffered, they must be held accountable.”
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.