Success in claim for estate of man who died from Mesothelioma
The team at Gotelee have recently acted for the estate of a man who sadly died from Mesothelioma and have recovered substantial damages in excess of £80,000 for the estate.
Mesothelioma is usually associated with exposure to asbestos. It is a form of cancer that affects the body’s organs and develops in the lining that covers the outer surface often of the lungs or stomach.
According to the NHS, every year more than 2,600 people in the UK are diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Most of these cases are diagnosed in people aged 60 to 80, and according to the statistics, men are more commonly affected.
Asbestos has been banned since 1999, but cases of asbestos-related disease have continued to be seen in such big numbers because these diseases usually take a long time to develop, often decades.
In the most recent case we have dealt with, the man was exposed to asbestos during his work in the 1960s but it was not until 2018 that he was diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Sadly, he passed away before we could get to meet him. However, as a result of statements obtained from his family about his working life and some detective work, we were able to bring a claim on behalf of the estate against the employer who exposed him to asbestos. The settlement reflected the pain and suffering he experienced in his period of illness and the considerable amount of help and care he needed from his family whilst he was in the last year of his life.
Siân Mullane comments that “Whilst asbestos has been banned for some time now, it’s effects will be felt for many years to come. There are many people who worked in industries where asbestos was widely used, and it still exists today in many buildings and installations throughout the country. Despite many of the employers from decades ago no longer existing it shows that, with some detective work, we can very often find the Insurers and still successfully obtain compensation for those affected by asbestos-related disease and their families”.
Should you or a member of your family be affected by a disease or illness caused by asbestos then the team at Gotelee can provide advice and assistance usually on a “no win, no fee” basis. Contact Siân Mullane on sian.mullane@gotelee.co.uk or 01473 298131.
