Diagnosed with pleural thickening
Thompsons Solicitors has succeeded in obtaining compensation for a former apprentice fitter after he was diagnosed with a disabling lung condition caused by exposure to asbestos.
David King, 58, from Luton was exposed to asbestos while working as an apprentice fitter and time-served fitter for a car manufacturer in Bedfordshire from 1970 to 1986.
He was diagnosed in April 2009 with pleural thickening which has left him breathless and as a result he has had to give up sport.
He said: “This condition has had a huge impact on my life. I have always worked in manual jobs and kept myself fit and healthy. I no longer have the energy to do the things I used to. It is very frustrating.
Thompsons Solicitors made claim for compensation
Mr King, who has a partner and adult children, instructed Thompsons Solicitors to investigate a claim for compensation.
Thompsons was successful in securing a provisional settlement which allows him to make a further claim for compensation if his condition worsens in the future due to asbestos disease.
He added: “I am relieved that my claim has been successful and that it allows me to re-open the claim if I go on to suffer from other asbestos related diseases. The worry that I will develop cancer like mesothelioma is a frightening prospect.”
Lorna Webster at Thompsons Solicitors said: “Mr King was first exposed to asbestos while working as an apprentice and now decades later he is suffering the effects in his daily life.
“The provisional settlement enables Mr King to have the benefit of some compensation now while preserving his right to claim further compensation if he should suffer serious deterioration due to the pleural thickening worsening or if he develops other asbestos related conditions including mesothelioma or lung cancer.”
Asbestos disease diagnosis? Talk to us for advice and support on how to secure compensation.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we can support you with advice on how to make a claim.
The process will be explained in plain English and with no obligation – our priority is to provide you with the best, expert advice on whether you have a valid case for compensation, and to signpost you to further sources of support.
There are strict time limits applied to making a claim – usually three years from the date of diagnosis. It doesn’t matter if the exposure to asbestos took place – as it often does – decades ago, the three year time limit applies to the date of knowledge of diagnosis or date of death.
For further information, visit our How to Make A Compensation Claim page.