At Asbestos Justice we have acted for many clients who were exposed to asbestos in England or Wales and then went on to emigrate to a whole host of countries around the world. If they subsequently develop asbestos disease, but their exposure has occurred in our jurisdiction of England and Wales, the claim is pursued through our claim and court process.
Historical and Negligent Exposure in the UK
We have recently settled a claim for the widow of a man who had worked as an apprentice Heating & Ventilation Craftsman for Rosser & Russell Limited between 1974 and 1978. He worked on many buildings over the course of his apprenticeship, with a mixture of new buildings and redoing pipework on old buildings. He recalled working on a large job at a building near Heathrow, and also one at the Evening Standard building in London.
Throughout his apprenticeship, the deceased came across asbestos regularly in the form of lagged pipework. He had to remove the lagging from the pipework before carrying out his tasks and this exposed him to significant amounts of airborne asbestos dust and fibres.
The defendant company failed to provide the deceased with a mask or any other form of respiratory protection despite the dangers of asbestos being well known.
Emigrating to New Zealand
The deceased emigrated to New Zealand in 1983. Between 1985 and 1987 he worked for a company there where he was also exposed to asbestos.
The deceased then went on to do various other jobs before starting a career a teacher in 1994. He loved this career and ultimately became a principal at a local school. He led an active life and loved cycling.
Latency Period of Asbestos Diseases
In 2023 he began to develop pain in the right side of his body. It was initially thought that he had fractured a rib. After several repeat visits to the hospital with continuing pain, he was referred for a CT scan which eventually led to a diagnosis of mesothelioma. This is an asbestos related cancer which can develop decades after a person has been exposed to asbestos. The latency period is usually between 10 and 50 years.
Compensation from both New Zealand and the UK
The deceased initially made an ACC claim in New Zealand in respect of this exposure and received a lump sum payment of $166,487.44. He then contacted us to enquire whether he could also bring a claim in the UK for the exposure he had suffered here. Sadly, he died before the claim concluded, but his widow continued it and we were able to obtain a settlement in excess of £200,000 after having given credit for the amount that had already been received in New Zealand. Whilst no amount of money will ever replace her husband, she has said that this will now mean she can live a comfortable life without financial worry.
If you require assistance in pursuing a mesothelioma claim, or believe you have a valid claim for any other asbestos disease, then please contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.