The widow of a man who died of lung cancer after exposure to asbestos at work has received £140,000 in compensation.

The man worked as a fitter in the steel industry. Part of his job was to work on furnaces and pipes which were covered with asbestos lagging. He was also exposed to asbestos while working on brake linings that contained asbestos. When he was carrying out this work, the environment was often filled with asbestos dust that would settle on his clothes.

It was only after he retired that the man began to notice a deterioration in his health. Eventually, tests confirmed that he had developed lung cancer. Although he was initially given some treatment, the illness was terminal.

Before he died, the man commenced a claim against his former employers because they had failed to warn him about the dangers of exposure to asbestos. At first, they denied that the asbestos exposure levels had been sufficient for him to develop lung cancer as a result. However, when court proceedings were issued, they agreed to a settlement of £140,000.

The man died before the case was settled so his widow received the compensation payment.