At Asbestos Justice, we have recently been successful in securing £50,000 in compensation for Mr S who developed asbestos related pleural thickening, decades after his exposure to asbestos whilst employed by the Council.
Importantly, this case demonstrated how individuals who have been exposed to asbestos decades ago, may still be entitled to compensation, even where their asbestos-related symptoms or diagnosis have only become apparent in more recent years.
Background
Mr S was employed by Sheffield City Council, as an apprentice joiner, between approximately 1974 to 1980. During his employment with the Council, Mr S was exposed to significant amounts of asbestos dust and fibres while carrying out work on a housing estate in his local area.
For approximately four months, Mr S attended at numerous properties on the housing estate, where he was required to strip out asbestos sheeting from the ceilings and walls of understairs cupboards. These understairs cupboards housed boilers and so the need for a fire-resistant material was deemed necessary. Mr S used a crowbar and his hands to pull the asbestos sheets away from the wall or ceiling.
Once Mr S had stripped out all of the asbestos sheeting, he was then tasked with cleaning the cupboard. This entailed brushing the ceiling timbers to ensure that they were free from asbestos dust and debris. He would then collect all of the asbestos sheeting together, by hand, and place it into large bin sacks for disposal. Mr S then finally, swept the cupboard out with a large brush and shovelled the remaining asbestos dust and debris into the bin sack.
Unfortunately, the exposure did not end there. A colleague who worked closely with Mr S would then cut new asbestos sheets, known as Asbestolux, in the close vicinity of Mr S before the sheets were installed in the cupboards by the colleague.
Mr S was never provided with any respiratory protective equipment whilst carrying out his role and he was never warned about the dangers of being exposed to airborne asbestos dust. As a result, Mr S unintentionally inhaled significant amounts of asbestos dust and fibres during the course of his employment with Sheffield City Council.
Diagnosis of Pleural Thickening
Many years after his occupational asbestos exposure, Mr S developed diffuse pleural thickening, a serious asbestos-related condition which causes permanent scarring and thickening of the lining of the lungs.
To support Mr S’s claim, we obtained independent medical evidence from a consultant radiologist and a respiratory physician. Both experts supported the claim and concluded that Mr S’s occupational exposure to asbestos had caused his pleural thickening.
In addition, the medical evidence confirmed that unfortunately, as a result of Mr S’s exposure to asbestos, this placed him at an increased risk of developing further serious asbestos-related diseases, including asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
Securing Provisional Damages
Given the nature of Mr S’s asbestos exposure and the ongoing risk of developing another serious asbestos-related condition, Mr S chose to settle his claim on a provisional damages basis.
This was an important element of the claim as it means that should Mr S develop a further asbestos related condition or should his diagnosed pleural thickening significantly worsen in the future, he has the legal right to bring a further claim for compensation.
Compensation was secured for Mr S in the sum of £50,000 and his claim was brought to a successful conclusion in less than 1 year after he first contacted Asbestos Justice for advice.
Do I have a Compensation Claim for Pleural Thickening?
If you have been diagnosed with pleural thickening and believe that you were exposed to asbestos during your employment, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
Pleural thickening can be caused by occupational exposure to asbestos, often many years before symptoms or a diagnosis develop. Whether you have a valid claim will depend on the circumstances of your asbestos exposure, your medical diagnosis, and whether we can locate an insurer or company to bring the claim against.
At Asbestos Justice, we specialise exclusively in asbestos disease compensation claims and so our experienced team are happy to help and guide you through the process.
Contact Our Asbestos Compensation Solicitors
If you or a loved one has suffered an asbestos-related illness, our experienced solicitors are here to help.
Call us today on 0800 038 6767, for a free, no-obligation conversation, or complete our online enquiry form to speak with a member of our team.
We can discuss your circumstances, explain whether you may be able to claim compensation for your asbestos related condition and advise you about the next steps.