Exposed to asbestos rewiring buildings
Unite the Union has helped an electrician obtain compensation after he was diagnosed with asbestos disease.
Alan O’Hara, 62, from Salford was exposed to asbestos while working for four different employers in his job as an electrician.
Mr O’Hara left school at 14 to become an apprentice electrician for B French in Salford from 1965 to 1971. He was exposed to asbestos rewiring buildings.
He later went onto work for other Salford based companies including Sadler and Kinsey Ltd, Premier Foods and BASF Construction where he was also exposed to the dangerous dust.
Mr O’Hara was diagnosed with pleural thickening in 2009. He was told by doctors he was suffering an asbestos related disease and to make enquiries about claiming compensation.
Asbestos claims specialists Thompsons Solicitors
He contacted his trade union, Unite who referred him to asbestos claims specialists Thompsons Solicitors for advice about compensation.
Mr O’Hara has been left breathless from the condition. He has been able to continue working but with adjustments to his employment.
He said: “I left school at 14 and trained as an electrician. When I was younger I had no idea that my job could harm my health in this way. My breathing difficulties are frustrating and do stop me from being as active as I would like to be.
“I worry that my condition might get worse in the future.”
Thompsons was successful in securing a provisional settlement which allows Mr O’Hara to make a further claim for compensation if his condition worsens in the future due to asbestos related disease.
Negligently exposed to asbestos in their work
Mick Whitley from Unite the Union said: “Many of our members have been negligently exposed to asbestos in their work which can lead to lung disease including the fatal cancer mesothelioma. The union will support our members who have been harmed by asbestos and will help them and their families fight for compensation.”
Steven Dickens from Thompsons Solicitors said: “Pleural thickening is a debilitating disease often caused by negligent exposure to asbestos in the workplace.
“This successful outcome provides Mr O’Hara with the benefit of compensation now for his current level of disability while preserving his right to claim further damages if he should sufferer serious deterioration at any time in the future due to asbestos disease, including mesothelioma and 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.