Posthumous settlement for family of former painter and decorator in Norfolk
Shaheen Mosquera settled a case for the bereaved family of a former painter and decorator who died from mesothelioma following exposure to asbestos at work.
Mr Brown worked for local authorities, hospitals, factories, and housing estates, while employed by F.C. Turner (Norfolk) Ltd for two periods between 1969 and 1990. He was initially exposed to asbestos while smashing up old, corrugated roofing with a hammer. He then cut new asbestos sheets with a saw to fit to the roof, which generated large quantities of dust, all with his bare hands and without a mask as no protective equipment was provided.
He was later exposed to asbestos cleaning corrugated sheets and ceiling tiles with a wire brush. He also worked on sites repairing and decorating gutters, soffits downpipes and stack pipes, all made of asbestos.
Prior to his mesothelioma diagnosis, Mr Brown was very independent, performing all his own household chores and still able to drive. His health deteriorated suddenly, and his doctors did not recommend chemotherapy due to the risks involved. As his mesothelioma progressed, he began to lose his independence and required more assistance. He spent some time in a hospice but was later discharged home, where he died.
The coroner was notified because death due to an industrial disease is not considered a 'natural cause of death'. As Mr Brown's diagnosis of mesothelioma had not been confirmed by histopathology during his lifetime, the coroner ordered a post-mortem and the report confirmed that the cause of death was mesothelioma as the lung tissue samples showed "numerous asbestos fibres due to asbestos exposure".
Mr Brown's family were introduced to Fieldfisher by HASAG after his death and Shaheen was instructed to represent them. She immediately collated evidence of the circumstances of Mr Brown's exposure from his son who had worked alongside his father at F.C. Turner from the late 70s. His witness statement detailed the circumstances around his father's exposure to asbestos.
Shaheen was able to bring a successful claim for Mr Brown's family's, detailing that his exposure to asbestos while working for F.C. Turner had materially increased his risk of developing mesothelioma.
She was able to recover significant damages due to the severity of Mr Brown's symptoms following his diagnosis, gratuitous care provided to him as a result, funeral expenses, travel expenses, miscellaneous expenses and £2,500 on behalf of St Helena's Hospice.
Mr Brown's son, David said:
“When we were unsure what to do, Shaheen and her team took the time to explain to us what we needed to do and how the claim would proceed. They were always compassionate towards my family while we were grieving our father’s death. We could not be more thankful for the support Shaheen and her team provided us with and the compassion they shared with us during this difficult period.”
Contact us
For further information about mesothelioma compensation claims, please call Shaheen Mosquera on 0330 460 6817 or email shaheen.mosquera@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
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