Carpenter's Family Receive Six-Figure Asbestos Damages

The family of a carpenter who died from mesothelioma have reached a compensation settlement with the local council responsible for the site where he was exposed to asbestos.

The man was subcontracted to work for the council between 1970 and 1973. During that time he spent between six and eight months working on a site where council houses were being built. He used asbestos insulation boards to line the insides of boiler cupboards and while working on the houses' exteriors. When he cut and drilled into the boards, asbestos dust and fibres were released into the air around him.

In September 2021 he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer that most commonly affects the lining of the lungs and is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma has a long incubation period, typically developing more than 20 years after exposure. The prognosis for those diagnosed with the disease is often poor, as it is usually at an advanced stage by the time symptoms appear. He died of the disease a year later, at the age of 67.

A claim was brought against the council as owner and occupier of the site. It was argued that the council owed him a duty of care and had failed in that duty by knowingly permitting unsafe working practices. The council admitted breach of duty but did not initially engage in settlement negotiations. After court proceedings were commenced, however, a six-figure settlement of the claim was agreed.