Diagnosed with mesothelioma 60 years after exposure to asbestos

From January 1960 to July 1961 Albert* worked for a company which was best known at the time for ship breaking and scrapping redundant British Railway locomotives. Whilst working at the company, Albert was exposed to asbestos dust.

In early 2020, Albert began to feel unwell so visited his GP. After being sent for tests, Albert sadly received a diagnosis of mesothelioma. It was an emotional time for him and his wife, but their main priority was to secure the necessary funding for immunotherapy treatment as they wanted to spend as much time as possible together.

That's when Albert and his wife contacted asbestos experts at Slater and Gordon, who immediately began working on Albert's case.

As with many cases of mesothelioma, as Albert's employment was so long ago, the company had long gone out of business. However, our research specialists were able to find the insurers who insured the company Albert worked for 60 years ago, and a letter of claim was sent to them.

Our experts also began gathering evidence which included proof of Albert's employment through the HMRC and medical evidence through an independent medical expert.

In April 2020, the company's insurers instructed solicitors to deal with the case on their behalf and by the end of April, our experts were already in a position to provide the necessary documentation for a settlement offer and requested an admission of fault and an interim payment.

The prompt action our experts took was successful and resulted in an early admission of fault which was welcomed by Albert, as at that stage his first line chemotherapy treatment hadn't had the desired results and the availability of further treatment was uncertain from the NHS.

Slater and Gordon's asbestos specialists worked closely with Albert's treating oncologist and a private hospital in relation to securing immunotherapy treatment. A suitable treatment plan was established so that Albert was able to receive the recommended immunotherapy, which was entirely funded by his former company.

Thankfully, this treatment provided Albert, his wife and his family with 15 months of quality time before he sadly passed away. Albert's wife said: "We were able to go out every day, and even go away for short breaks, we are so thankful for that."

If you or someone in your family has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you'd like to speak to one of our experts, please feel free to contact us.

*Client's name changed for the purpose of anonymity.