£115,000 provisional settlement obtained for Mr N following exposure to asbestos in 1970s

Mr N, a Norwich man in his late 60s, began to have problems with a cough in 2018 and went on to discover in 2019 that he was suffering from an asbestos-related pleural effusion and asbestos-related pleural thickening. He is currently unable to work as a result of the breathing difficulties he suffers.

Martyn Hayward, an asbestos-related disease claim specialist at Ashtons Legal, helped Mr N to establish that his illness was related to asbestos exposure that he suffered in the mid-1970s. The exposure occurred while working for two different employers, initially as an apprentice pipe fitter and then as a pipe fitter/welder. In these roles, he worked in a range of locations, including hospitals and shops and his tasks included stripping off old asbestos lagging from redundant pipework in old buildings. He also worked in close proximity with laggers who were installing new pipes and boilers.

Martyn explains: “We brought a claim on Mr N’s behalf on the basis that if his symptoms and diagnosis remain as they are, then the provisional settlement we have achieved for him is reasonable. If, however, his illness develops into a life-limiting asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, he will be entitled to re-open the claim and seek a higher level of compensation. This type of provisional settlement is an important option for people whose symptoms are clearly asbestos-related and have the potential to develop into a full-blown asbestos-related cancer.

“Unfortunately, we are still seeing many new cases of asbestos-related illness from those working in the construction and property maintenance sector whose exposure is as recent as the 1970s, by which time businesses ought to have been aware of the dangers and started to take better precautions to protect their workforce.”

Contact our mesothelioma and asbestos disease solicitors today

If you believe we can assist you when pursuing an Asbestos & Mesothelioma claim, or simply wish to talk about exposure to asbestos, please get in contact with us on 0330 404 0777 or fill out our online enquiry form to speak to one of our asbestos disease specialists, Martyn Hayward, Sylvia Phillips or Andrew Wilson.

Our experienced team of lawyers will be able to offer advice and guide you through every step of the claims process, and our in-house rehabilitation coordinators can help to support you through your recovery.