Asbestos Damages for Construction Worker's Family

The widow of a man who died of an asbestos-related disease has won over £250,000 in compensation.

William Wolff had worked as a joiner for 50 years before he retired in 2005, three months before his 65th birthday. He and his wife had planned to tour Scotland and take a trip to Australia, but Mr Wolff noticed that he became breathless when undertaking physical tasks and sought advice from his doctor in early 2006. His GP sent him for tests and in May that year he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an incurable form of cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs and is caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mr Wolff was seriously ill for the last seven months of his life, when the only possible medical intervention was palliative care. He was an inpatient in a hospice for the last weeks before he died in March 2007.

A claim was brought by Mr Wolff’s widow and other family members against his former employer on the ground that it had negligently exposed him to asbestos dust. The company admitted liability and a settlement of £258,520 in favour of Mrs Wolff was agreed by the court. This included £65,000 for Mr Wolff’s pain and suffering. There were also payouts totalling £52,317 for the couple’s three daughters and an award of £7,084 to their granddaughter.