Six-figure settlement for former electrical fitter diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Mr L become unwell following the sad passing of his wife, who had been his lifelong companion. He experienced symptoms such as breathlessness and began choking. Mr L was admitted to hospital after calling his daughter, as he could not get out of bed due to feeling so unwell. Upon admission, Mr L had a significant amount of fluid drained from his chest. Following further investigations and a biopsy, Mr L received the devastating diagnosis of mesothelioma. Mr L deteriorated rapidly and very sadly died in hospital a month later.

Mr L was exposed to asbestos whilst working for the British Electric Authority at Littlebrook Power Station.

Mr L left school at the age of 16 and began working as an apprentice electrical fitter. The Power Station was located outside of Dartford, Kent and was made up of a series of four coal-fired stations.

Mr L carried out work on boilers in the coal-fired stations which heavily exposed him to asbestos. He worked in the boiler rooms which contained vast amounts of asbestos lagging. In the summer months, Mr L assisted with taking the turbines off stream and cleaning the boilers and the generators. This process involved coming into contact with asbestos lagging which was then disturbed. The asbestos particles circulated in the air and there was no ventilation present. Mr L was covered in asbestos dust as a result and breathed this in.

Mr L was also tasked with sweeping and keeping his workspace clean. He swept up in the boiler houses and around the boiler rooms, disturbing the asbestos dust that coated the floors. Mr L was never provided with any protective equipment, such as gloves, overalls or goggles. Mr L did not receive any health and safety training and was not warned of the dangers of working with asbestos.

RWK Goodman sent a Letter of Claim to the insurer that covered the British Electric Authority at the time Mr L worked for them. We prepared a detailed witness statement and took our time to carefully collate the evidence, addressing the way in which Mr L was exposed. We liaised with Mr L’s children, who brought the claim on behalf of Mr L’s estate. We obtained a medical report confirming that Mr L’s mesothelioma was caused by his asbestos exposure during his time working for the Defendant.

Mr L’s children were represented by Rachel Hicks, a Senior Associate in RWK Goodman’s expert Industrial Disease team. Rachel worked on behalf of the estate and was able to negotiate an excellent six-figure settlement. The family were thrilled with the outcome