At Asbestos Justice we are delighted to report that we have succeeded in recovering mesothelioma compensation for Mr C who was sadly diagnosed with the terminal asbestos-related cancer at the end of 2023.
HMRC work history vital
Initially, Mr C was unsure about where he had come into contact with airborne asbestos dust in the past during this working life. We obtained a copy of his HMRC work history from the Inland Revenue which set out all of his employers dating back to 1960/61.
One of the companies mentioned on his work history was Dawson & Henderson Limited. Mr C had worked for them as a bricklayer and labourer for around 6 months during the 1978/79 tax year. When taking his witness statement in support of his mesothelioma claim, Mr C was able to recall working on various old buildings all over the Gosport site and was involved in building bricked structures around manholes outside. He also spent a great deal of time sweeping up the inside of the buildings at Gosport Naval Base. He could recall seeing vast amounts of asbestos lagging on pipework running throughout the buildings he worked in. He also provided a detailed description of the material being old and fibrous, with parts flaking off, before falling to the floor of the base.
Dangers of sweeping
Mr C was tasked with sweeping up dust and debris which covered the floor of the base and, as he did so, he could not help but breathe in the large clouds of asbestos dust which were created by his dry sweeping work.
At no time was Mr C provided with any warnings of the dangers of working with asbestos dust, nor was he provided with any form of respiratory protection to wear, and this was relied upon as proof that Dawson & Henderson were negligent.
DMPS to the rescue
Unfortunately, Dawson & Henderson no longer traded, and no insurance could be located for the company, but this did not stop Mr C from claiming a substantial sum of mesothelioma compensation under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme. We gathered evidence in support of the scheme claim which was provided to the scheme provider in May of 2024, with the application being approved a short time later on the 4th June 2024.
This case shows that even where sufferers of mesothelioma initially experience difficulties in recalling examples of how they came into contact with airborne asbestos dust in their work, their memories can be assisted when seeing a full list of past employers on their HMRC work histories.
A significant sum of mesothelioma compensation of over £135,000.00 was recovered for Mr C within a matter of months of receiving instructions from him, meaning that he was aware that his wife would be financially secure for life after he passed away.
Mr C’s wife stated:
“From first contact with James Cameron at Asbestos Justice we felt we were in safe hands. James was professional and empathetic. He explained every detail of the claims process. He and the rest of the team went above and beyond to gain compensation for my husband….. don’t hesitate to contact them for advice, they are not pushy, but are kind and hardworking.”
How we can help
If you need help pursuing a Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme application claim or would just like to make an initial, no obligation enquiry, please contact us today on 01244 312306. Alternatively, visit our ‘Contact Us’ page, fill out the form, and we will get in touch with you.