Record Mesothelioma Case Not Yet Decided

A woman is pursuing a ground-breaking sum for compensation in an asbestos personal injury claim.

The woman from Sutton loyally washed her husband’s asbestos-contaminated work clothes and went on to nurse him on his deathbed. She is now suing the company who used to employ him for £500,000 after she also contracted the disease.

The woman’s husband died of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma in July last year, just over a year after his diagnosis. His wife said that her husband had experienced ‘terrible suffering’ during his illness.

The woman’s husband worked as an engineer at a well-known electronics company in Guilford for 42 years. The woman regularly washed her husband’s clothes during the early years of their marriage in the 1960s. It is at this point she believes she came into contact with the dangerous substance herself.

Having also been diagnosed with the deadly illness in January, the woman’s expectancy has been cut by 23 years. The barrister acting on behalf of the woman told London’s High Court how the outlook following the identification of malignant mesothelioma was ‘bleak’.

Company Has Not Agreed To Pay Compensation In Full

As well as affecting the woman’s husband, the lethal material also came into contact with fellow workers at the electronics company while lagging pipes. The company has admitted liability for the damage caused but is disputing the value of the claim.

The woman was forced to stop work because of her illness and believes that her husband’s former employer is liable for her injuries.

The electronics company has offered £310,000 in compensation but refuses to pay the remaining £221,000 which relates to her loss of dependency on her husband.
The company says that the amount is too much considering the woman’s diminished life expectancy.

If You Have Suffered From Exposure To Asbestos Get In Touch Today

Asbestos has become a well-known killer in industrial disease compensation claims. Often the symptoms do not arise for decades following the exposure. If you have suffered then please call Jefferies today on 0333 358 3034.

The decision from the court was not delivered and will be confirmed at a later date.

Published on 11th February 2015.