We have won £84,000 in compensation for Mr B, a 67 year old
man from Hayes who contracted lung cancer after being exposed to
asbestos dust when working as a labourer for Cape Building Products
Limited in the 1960s.
During his 18 months at Cape Building Products, Mr
B was heavily exposed to asbestos dust in the course of his
work. His tasks included handling sacks of raw asbestos which
he was required to open and empty out.
Generally it is very difficult to prove the
connection between lung cancer and asbestos exposure where the
sufferer has not first contracted asbestosis. In this case Mr B had
also smoked heavily for most of his adult life, making it even
harder to establish the connection.
We were able to negotiate a settlement from Cape
Building Products’ insurers with the help of a medical report
proving that asbestosis does not need to be present for a patient’s
lung cancer to be attributed to asbestos exposure. Mr B
received a settlement £84,000 in compensation
which took into account a deduction of 17.5 % to reflect his
history of smoking.
Mr B’s son said:
“I would like to take this
opportunity, on behalf of my father and myself, to thank the firm
for the professional and sympathetic way they have dealt with our
claim. On a personal note, I would like to thank Field Fisher
Waterhouse for making such a big difference to our
situation.”