UK nurse files compensation claim against her former employers



St Helens Hospital , where Catherine Potter worked

As the St. Helens Star reports, Catherine Potter, 62, claimed that she was exposed to asbestos during work and had developed malignant mesothelioma. She launched a compensation claim against her former employers at the High Court for £200,000.

Ms. Potter worked as a cleaner at old St Helens Hospital for five years from 1979. She cleaned passages in the hospital, where asbestos was present. She said that workmen would go and clean the asbestos lagging and she was tasked with cleaning up the remaining asbestos dust. She claimed she was not giving any warning of the health risks of asbestos.

Ms. Potter first noticed chest problems in December 2009 and was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July 2010. Her lawyers said that he is looking for Mr. Potter's former co-worker who can help support her clam. He said, "It would be extremely helpful if anyone who worked at St Helens Hospital, particularly Bishop and Pilkington wards in the 1970s and 1980s can contact me."

UK widow receives compensation after husband dies of mesothelioma

Ted Hissey (picture from Westen Telegraph)


According to Western Telegraph, Jenny Hissey finally received a settlement for the death of her husband, Ted Hissey. Three years after she filed a mesothelioma lawsuit, the case was settled out of court. Jenny Hissey received an undisclosed sum from her husband's former employer, the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Ted Hissey died of mesothelioma in 2007. He was exposed to asbestos while working at the Department for Communities and Local Government, at Royal Air Force base Brawdy in the southwestern part of Wales from 1990 to 1993.

Jenny Hissey was shocked when her husband began suffering mesothelioma symptoms, such as shortness of breath, because he had always lived an active lifestyle. She said, "My husband was always a hard worker and even after his retirement he would find hobbies to keep himself busy. When he was diagnosed with mesothelioma he found it incredibly difficult to be bed bound."

The company admitted they did not take proper care of the health and safety for their employees.Therefore, the case ended with an out-of-court settlement.

Edna White's family wins mesothelioma compensation, thanks to former coworkers

(Left: Edna White, around the time she worked at Lorival Plastics. Right: Edna with her grandchildren.)

In the United Kingdom as it is here in the United States, millions of people who worked in mills, plants, factories, construction sites, shipyards and in maintenance and repair were exposed to asbestos. The late Mrs. Edna White was one of those exposed to asbestos, which her family believed--and as the court recently ruled--happened while Mrs. White worked at Lorvial Plastics in Bolton (near Manchester) in the 1960s.

In an article last year, Mrs. White's daughter Jill Blake asked her mother's former coworkers to come forward with more information about Mrs. White's time at the Lorival Plastics:

Her daughter, who was a child when her mother worked at Lorival Plastics, wants to know exactly which job she did there. 

It is believed asbestos was used in the factory, which specialised in injection-moulded plastic products, to manufacture toilet cisterns and Mrs Blake believes she came into contact with it there.

In the 2010 article, Ms. Blake noted that her mother died of mesothelioma at the age of 68 in 2009, and that this did not have to be the case:

"She was so active before she was diagnosed with mesothelioma. ...A consultant who treated her said she would probably have had another 20 years if she had not had this disease - and that hurts."

Ms. Blake's efforts on behalf of her mother paid off:

Several people came forward to tell the family about Mrs White's work and contact with the deadly material [while] she was employed by the Little Lever company, which no longer exists, in the 1960s.
The information has brought Mrs White’s family justice, as well as answers as to how their mother came into contact with asbestos, as their legal battle has now been settled.

Anthony Bolton, identified in The Bolton News' April 6, 2011 article on the verdict in favor of Mrs. White's

 surviving family, said of the effect Ms. Blake's plea for help had on the case:

“Edna worked as a time and motion monitor.When her family first approached us for help we had no first hand information about her work history or working conditions at Lorival Plastics. 

“But following a witness appeal in The Bolton News we were contacted by several people, including one star witness who proved invaluable to the progression of the case. 

“Although nothing can make up for their tragic loss, Edna’s family now have the closure they need to move on and rebuild their lives.”

 Edna White's family sought help from both the community of Bolton and Little Lever, and from a mesothelioma lawyer. No one could give Mrs. White's family what they really wanted--twenty more years with their mother and grandmother--but, in Ms. Blake's words,

“It’s good to have answers but it’s been mixed feelings really, we are still dealing with our loss. It shows The Bolton News readers really can make a difference and we are very grateful.We hope this will encourage other people to answer appeals and raise awareness of asbestos and its impact.” 

We are glad that Mrs. White's family received the mesothelioma compensation they deserve, and we hope that all victims of asbestos exposure continue to explore their legal rights and asbestos legal options.

 

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