ASBESTOS VICTORY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2018 :: RMTnews 21 LEGAL RMT and Thompsons Solicitors have successfully secured compensation for the son of a Crewe man who died after developing the asbestos-related condition, asbestosis. The RMT member worked at an engineering facility between 1947 and 1985, first as a crane driver at its iron works, then a millwright assistant and, later, a furnace man in the steel foundry. Asbestos was prevalent across the facility as it was used to lag its pipework, boilers and furnaces. Joe would come into contact with it regularly, particularly in his role as furnace man. Throughout his career at the factory, which spanned nearly four decades, he was never given instruction on safe working practices with asbestos and was not provided with protective equipment to limit his exposure. In the summer of 2014, 29 years after retiring, Joe developed pneumonia and was taken to hospital. A scan revealed scarring of his lung tissue but the cause was unclear. His breathing began to deteriorate until, shortly before his death in March 2015, it was so poor he was unable to walk more than 30 feet. It was discovered post- mortem that he had been suffering from asbestosis, a debilitating lung condition caused by inhaling asbestos dust. His son contacted the union on his father’s behalf and instructed asbestos disease specialists Thompsons Solicitors to make a compensation claim. The defendant admitted that Joe had been negligently exposed to asbestos. The son said: “For the last nine months of my dad’s life, he was in and out of hospital and we had no idea why. It was frustrating for our entire family because we could not comprehend why his health was deteriorating so rapidly. It took his death for us to understand that it was caused by asbestos, but that only raised more questions. “I’ve come to realise just how widespread this issue is and that my dad is not the only person that has become severely ill because they were exposed to dangerous substances, like asbestos, at work. “RMT and Thompsons’ legal team helped make sense of all of this for me and my family, and did everything they could to hold my dad’s former employer accountable for what happened.” RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the member had devoted the best part of his career to the engineering facility so that it was sad that, ultimately, it was a contributing factor to his tragic death. “As he was a member of the union, his son was able to contact us free of charge and successfully make a claim for compensation with the support of Thompsons Solicitors. “His RMT membership ensured his son received his damages in full, with no deductions,” he said. Alan Dolphin, of Thompsons Solicitors, added that as they were instructed post-mortem, our legal experts were unable to gather a report from Joe about his direct exposure to asbestos. “Luckily, we were able to speak with witnesses and build a claim using other evidence, highlighting the negligence of the employer and it ensured that the RMT member’s family got the answers they were desperately seeking,” he said. ASBESTOS VICTORY Son of RMT member awarded compensation after asbestos disease claim