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An Irish farmer who worked stripping asbestos in England has received compensation from his former employers after developing a fatal cancer.
The 75-year-old from County Waterford was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, in January 2012.
There is no known cure for the disease which is caused by exposure to asbestos.
The grandfather to seven was exposed to asbestos after he moved to the UK aged just 15 to find work to save money towards buying a farm. He trained as an oxy acetylene burner and was employed by a demolition company in both it’s Sheffield and London branches between 1955 to 1964 to strip asbestos in various workplaces, including power stations.
In 1975 he moved back to Ireland with his young family to work on the family farm. With his savings he extended the acreage of the farm which he still owns today.
Thompsons Solicitors made claim for compensation
His illness now means he can no longer tend the farm and relies on his son and neighbour for help.
He first began to develop symptoms of mesothelioma in August 2011 when he went to his GP suffering from a cough.
He became aware that his work with asbestos could be related to the disease but his worst fears weren’t confirmed for several months.
Following his diagnosis he contacted asbestos compensation experts Thompsons Solicitors for advice. Thompsons made a claim against his former employer and settled the case out of court for £155,000.
This compensation gives me a great sense of relief
The farmer said: “When I first began to suffer from chest problems I was worried it was caused by the asbestos. When I was working with asbestos I wasn’t aware of the dangers but in later years I became aware of how it could affect my health.
“This compensation gives me a great sense of relief. I know that my family will be financially secure in the future and in the meantime will allow me to hire some help to run the farm.”
Helen Jones from Thompsons Solicitors added: “This compensation can never make up for the loss of our client’s health but we hope it provides him with some financial relief during this difficult time.”