We helped the family of Carol Thomas, a former seamstress from Wales, secure compensation after she died at the age of 55 following an asbestos cancer diagnosis.
Carol was just 55 when she died of the asbestos disease mesothelioma.
She was exposed to asbestos while working as a machinist in Port Talbot during the 1970s and 1980s. Prior to her death, she mentioned that there were pipes running through the factory that were lagged with asbestos insulation.
The pipes fed irons and steam presses, which were used to put seams and pleats into garments – the irons also sat on asbestos plates.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, mesothelioma killed 2,446 people in Great Britain in 2018. Historically, asbestos illnesses tended to affect men working in heavy industry, but according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), more than one in six deaths from mesothelioma, a fatal asbestos cancer, are female.
Ms Thomas’ sister, Christine Flynn said: “If Carol wasn’t exposed to asbestos at work, she could still be here today. It’s hugely important that employers and the government listen to the pleas of asbestos disease victims and make every effort to remove it.”
