Mesothelioma asbestos compensation for electrician’s widow

George’s claim

George from Rochester, Medway, Kent tragically died of mesothelioma due to his asbestos exposure following over 40 years working for Seeboard as an electrician/engineer, particularly at Kent power stations.

We were instructed to claim compensation by Iris his 85 year old widow. George had never made a statement about his employment/asbestos exposure history before he died. Iris and his daughter Diane knew virtually nothing about his work history to help us prove liability.

Our approach

We wrote to Seeboard’s successors, UK Power Networks, to obtain George’s employment records and then researched likely sources of asbestos exposure for someone doing the claimant’s job; an electricity board electrical draftsman. We identified power stations as his most likely asbestos exposure source. We met at Iris’s home with Iris and the executor of George’s estate, their daughter Diane, We gleaned what further information we could. We identified that George may have disdraft more about his employment history to his (adult) grandchildren than either of them. Statements obtained from the grandchildren confirmed that after mesothelioma was diagnosed he had told them he had often had heavy unprotected exposure to asbestos from lagging at power stations at Kingsnorth and Littlebrook, Dartford between 1950s and 1970s.

This was especially from laggers disturbing asbestos lagging when George visited to check, measure and draw electrical equipment at the power stations. It seemed he did not tell Iris because he did not want to worry her in case she developed mesothelioma from having washed his asbestos dusty work clothes.

A full letter of claim was sent to UK Power on 15 June, supported by witness statements, preliminary schedule of losses, extracts from medical and coroner’s records and employment documents. At the same time a consultant chest physician was instructed for an opinion based on the records.

On 23 June the defendants admitted negligence. A supportive medical report was received and a final schedule of losses prepared, totalling £187,000. These were served with supporting evidence on 7 September and an offer invited.

When no offer was made within 14 days, we chased and threatened court proceedings. When our deadline passed we prepared court proceedings. We sent these to the client to sign on 14 October, at the same time informing the defendants this was happening.

The next day 15 October they made an offer of £170,000.

The outcome

After further negotiations we settled Iris’s mesothelioma claim for £175,000 on 26 October 2015. We achieved this successful result just over four months after we sent the letter of claim, having been instructed initially after George’s tragic death from mesothelioma with virtually no evidence to prove Iris’s claim. As a mesothelioma client Iris kept 100% of the compensation. Iris/Diane’s acting lawyer Jeremy commented: “Of course no amount of money could bring back George, but I was very pleased to see that justice was done to honour George’s memory, reflect what he’d suffered and make sure that Iris was properly provided for.”

Client quote

Iris & Diane were “very satisfied” with all aspects of our service, which services they rated as “10/10”, particularly praising our “efficiency” and “knowledge of the process [of] gaining,  compensation.”

The Lawyer

This mesothelioma compensation claim was dealt with by Jeremy Horton, a Solicitor and Partner in the firm, specialising in mesothelioma and other asbestos compensation claims in Kent, Medway, Essex & beyond. Jeremy is passionate about helping asbestos disease victims and their families achieve fair compensation as quickly as possible. He is the only APIL Accredited Occupational and Asbestos Disease Specialist solicitor in Kent, Medway, Essex, Surrey or Sussex. Jeremy can be contacted on 01622 680415 or at JeremyHorton@brachers.co.uk.

This content is correct at time of publication