Ashtons Legal successfully concludes claim for former retained Suffolk firefighter

Ashtons Legal has secured a substantial provisional damages settlement for Mr Jordan, a retired retained firefighter from Suffolk. Mr Jordan was exposed to asbestos in unprotected conditions during his career of over twenty years from 1969 to 1992.

During this time, Mr Jordan was exposed to asbestos when tackling massive power station and factory fires across the region. These commercial buildings were constructed with large amounts of asbestos throughout, which would have been disturbed and airborne during the fires and contained within the debris.

Breathing apparatus was not worn routinely and neither Mr Jordan nor his colleagues were advised that it was necessary to wear these whilst attending fires or when raking through the debris extinguishing the hotspots. The crew of firefighters would be located inside and outside burning buildings, unprotected from the ash, debris and asbestos fibres around them.

Phoebe Osborne, a personal injury solicitor and approved APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) Litigator at Ashtons Legal acted on behalf of Mr Jordan. After obtaining witness evidence and other information from a number of his former colleagues Phoebe successfully negotiated the provisional damages settlement of his claim three weeks before the case was due to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Mr Jordan himself said: “Looking back on my early days in the service I recall the importance of breathing equipment wasn’t as well-known as it is today. While breathing in noxious smoke was a worry for me and my colleagues, the potential health risks of inhaling asbestos were simply not thought about or explained to us. I often see reports in the news of other firefighters who have gone on to develop mesothelioma, a terminal form of asbestos cancer and other debilitating asbestos conditions and I believe sufferers such as myself need to be fairly compensated after years of diligent service.”

Phoebe said: “We are pleased to have obtained this settlement for Mr Jordan and his family. It was a complicated pleural thickening claim, resulting from decades of asbestos exposure in unprotected conditions, sadly one of many cases we see. The provisional damaged settlement now brings peace of mind to Mr Jordan knowing he can return for further compensation should his condition deteriorate or in the awful event he does go on to develop mesothelioma.”