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The family of a UNISON member who died from an asbestos-related disease has secured more than £137,000 in compensation.
The member died of title="Asbestosis Claims">asbestosis aged 77. He had started a compensation claim against his former employers approximately 10 months earlier, which his wife and son continued on his behalf.
He was diagnosed with asbestosis after experiencing complications with his diabetes. He was prescribed home oxygen and a wheelchair to alleviate his breathlessness.
He was married for nearly 55 years, during which time he and his wife had five children. His son helped his mum continue the claim. The son said: “Dad’s condition deteriorated so much that he started sleeping in the chair downstairs because there was no way he could manage the steps.
“Mum and I would wash and dress him as he could no longer manage it himself.”
He was exposed to asbestos on a regular basis during his 46 years as a joiner, both for a local authority and shipbuilding firm. He handled asbestos while refurbishing homes and when
adding partitions to ships. He was not made aware of the dangers asbestos posed and was never given sufficient protective equipment.
The member contacted title="UNISON">UNISON and instructed asbestos experts at Thompsons Solicitors, which brought the first successful claim for compensation involving asbestos-related disease to the House of Lords, to investigate a claim.
Following his death, his wife and son continued the claim - securing £137,645 on his behalf.
“We can’t recommend Thompsons enough,” he said. “After my father died, they were supportive during what was an incredibly difficult time for us and made the process of the claim as easy as possible.”
Helen Templeton, of Thompsons Solicitors, said: “This man was unknowingly exposed to a deadly fibre on a regular basis for more than half his life. By the time he found out about the dangers, it was too late.
“His employment spanned more than one company, but we investigated his work history in detail. This meant we were able to trace the negligent firms and start a compensation claim against their insurers - securing a settlement for his family, as well as closure.”