Former Electrician's Family Secure Mesothelioma Damages

The family of a man who died of mesothelioma have secured compensation after they were able to establish that he was exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

The man had worked as an electrician and works planner at a hospital for nearly 40 years. He repaired the boilers, during which asbestos would be disturbed, and had to crawl through service ducts lined with asbestos to carry out repairs.

In 2019 he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the lining of the outer surface of organs, most commonly the lungs. He died in 2021 at the age of 92.

His family brought a claim for damages. Detailed investigations were undertaken, including obtaining evidence from another hospital employee who confirmed that the man would have been exposed to asbestos while performing his duties.

The hospital admitted liability and a six-figure settlement of the claim was reached.

More than 2,700 people in the UK are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. Symptoms of mesothelioma typically appear several decades after the exposure that caused it, and most people diagnosed with the disease are over the age of 75.