Mr M was diagnosed with the asbestos related disease mesothelioma following a fall in summer 2019. At this stage, Mr M was admitted into a nursing home, and his family instructed Hugh James to investigate a legal claim on his behalf.
As Mr M was also suffering from dementia, he was unable to provide detail as to where he had come into contact with asbestos dust, but notebooks kept from the time of his employment with BICC, by whom he was employed throughout his working life, confirmed that asbestos had been used within the manufacture of cables there.
We accordingly contacted Mr M’s former colleagues in order to discuss with them their memories as to asbestos use at BICC. Through their recollections, we were able to build up a picture demonstrating how Mr M had been exposed to asbestos dust and fibres during the course of his employment with BICC. Not only had asbestos been used within the manufacturing processes, but it had also been used to insulate the steam pipes which ran through the premises.
A detailed letter setting out these allegations was forwarded to BICC’s insurers, together with medical evidence confirming that Mr M’s occupational asbestos exposure was sufficient to have materially increased the risk of his developing mesothelioma. At this stage, we invited the insurers to enter into negotiations with us in order to settle Mr M’s claim. Following negotiations in spring 2021, a settlement was reached which was used to help fund Mr M’s nursing home costs, ensuring that he was kept comfortable and well looked after during the last few weeks of his life.
