Unite member, Bob, has received £35,000 in provisional compensation for an asbestos-related disease.
The 65-year-old former maintenance electrician was diagnosed with pleural thickening after suffering chest pains in early 2014. Bob had fluid drained from his lungs and struggles to continue employment. He also finds hobbies such as swimming and skiing a lot more difficult than he used to.
Bob came into contact with asbestos between 1974 and 1982, and again from 1992 to 2002, working on construction sites and in a building in Leicester city centre. He regularly repaired boilers and crawled through heating ducts which were covered with asbestos insulation. His employers never warned him about the dangers of asbestos or provided him with any protection.
“Life has really slowed down since I started suffering from this condition,” said Bob.
“Asbestos wasn’t really something I was aware of during my career, so when I contacted Unite Legal Services and Thompsons Solicitors for support they took a detailed work history of when and where I was exposed. They were very thorough in their checks and soon helped me make a claim against the two employers.”
Bob contacted Unite Legal Services, who supported him in a compensation claim for pleural thickening. A provisional settlement of £35,000 was secured, which means he can make another claim for a further award of compensation if his condition worsens.
He continued: “I’m scared about what the future will bring and what my partner will do if my condition deteriorates. I’m fortunate to have received this personal injury payment, on a provisional basis, but I wish I had never been exposed to asbestos to begin with.”
Kevin Hepworth, East Midlands regional legal officer at Unite the Union, said: “Unite Legal Services, with the support of Thompsons Solicitors, has helped thousands of members make personal injury compensation claims for asbestos diseases. Bob’s story is, sadly, not a rare one, and it will be years before the number of people suffering from asbestos exposure will begin to drop.
“Our experienced legal team is proud to support members like Bob in order to secure full compensation with no deductions. While we hope that his condition does not get worse, he now has the safeguard of a Court Order confirming that he can make a further claim if it does.”
