£74,000 for Death Caused by Exposure to Asbestos Dust

Date online: 21/02/2011

The wife of a man who died as a result of being exposed to harmful asbestos whilst at work has secured compensation of £74,000 from his former employer.

George Combe, who was 69 when he died, had worked as an apprentice turner for an engineering firm in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although his work did not involve direct contact with asbestos, he was exposed to asbestos dust when his colleagues worked on equipment lagged with asbestos, and during maintenance work on the firm’s heating system.

Mr Combe was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs which is usually caused by asbestos exposure. He died four months later.

Mesothelioma is a deadly disease which typically strikes 30 to 40 years after the original exposure to asbestos. The prognosis for sufferers is generally bleak, as the disease is usually at an advanced stage by the time symptoms are experienced. As Mr Combe’s case shows, the disease can progress quickly – he went from being in good health to receiving palliative care in a very short time.

Mr Combe commenced a personal injury claim against his former employer, which his wife continued after his death. An out-of-court settlement has now been reached.

In 2008, there were 2,249 deaths from mesothelioma in the United Kingdom. The previous occupations of those who died of the disease commonly included:

• carpenters and joiners;
• plumbers, heating and ventilating engineers; and
• electricians and electrical fitters.

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