Former British Telecom Engineer describes his mesothelioma claim
If you are reading this, it is likely that you or a loved one/friend/former colleague has been exposed to asbestos in the workplace and may have been diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result. Normally, this will be later in life and probably well into retirement, as in my case.
It was such a shock and so unexpected, after 50 odd years since I was exposed. I had been in a lot of pain with my shoulder, particularly with the Ulnar nerve which travels between the shoulder along the underside of the arm and the two smallest fingers, causing pins & needles.
Initially I put this down to over-exuberant DIY activity, but after three months of terrible pain and many different pain killers, my doctors referred me to the Same Day Emergency Care at Winchester Hospital who were very thorough and, by the end of the day, had found a shadow on my lung on X-Ray, with a subsequent diagnosis of mesothelioma. The important thing here is the prolonged arm pain, a classic symptom of this disease that I was totally unaware of.
Following the shock, I knew exactly where and when I was exposed in my career with GPO Telecom division/British Telecom (BT) back in the early '70s. After carrying out some research and looking at a few lawyers specialising in this work, I found it all very confusing. But a visit from HASAG (a charity that covers the whole of the South East and parts of the South West) provided the most empathetic and practical support for filling in the required disability support forms for government support (which is very good for industrial injuries).
HASAG also supplied a list of knowledgeable and trustworthy solicitors who are experts in mesothelioma claims.
I looked through the list and found one firm that looked very experienced in BT cases - Fieldfisher in the City of London.
Having read some case studies, I opted for Peter Williams who was very positive and friendly and took the time to come to my home and gather all the required information for the case. After consultation with a barrister, it was determined that I had a strong case
Peter was engaged and diligently gathered all the case information required to bring the case to court. As Peter had dealt with BT successfully many times in the past, he was able to go directly to the correct people/departments to quickly lodge the claim.
Peter brought the case together so well and so efficiently that BT quickly offered an out-of-court settlement. Peter then fought for an increase of the offer, gaining a significant additional sum that has now been paid out.
So, thank you to Peter and Fieldfisher for a fantastic outcome and painless process.
Contact us
For further information about mesothelioma claims, please call Peter Williams on 0330 460 6805 or email peter.williams@fieldfisher.com.
Alternatively
- You can speak to our asbestos disease lawyers on freephone 0800 358 3848
- email us: personalinjury@fieldfisher.com
- Complete the short online enquiry form
All enquiries are completely free of charge and we will investigate all funding options for you including no win, no fee.
