The family of a former engineer, who recently died from mesothelioma cancer, has secured a settlement of compensation for asbestos exposure.
In December last year, 73 year-old Peter McCormack from Whickham in Tyne and Wear passed away after suffering for eighteen months with mesothelioma cancer – a cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs and is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres and asbestos dust.
Before he died, Peter had consulted with solicitors about making a claim for compensation for asbestos exposure against two of his former employers who had failed to protect him against the deadly material. After his death, the claim was maintained by his daughter Elke (41).
In the claim for compensation for asbestos exposure, it was alleged that EON UK had allowed Peter to work alongside laggers – first as an apprentice and then as a mechanical fitter – who mixed and applied asbestos to pipes and other fittings without any protection.
OSG Ship Management (formerly W A Souter Ltd) was also named in the legal action as Peter had worked for the company from 1965 to 1997, during which time he had repaired pipes that had asbestos lagging on ships where asbestos dust laid on surfaces until it was disturbed and entered the atmosphere to be inhaled by company employees.
After a period of negotiation with the two companies and their insurers, an undisclosed six-figure settlement of compensation for asbestos exposure was negotiated. The settlement will be divided between Elke and her sister Natalie, who said: “Hopefully, this settlement will highlight to employers the need to protect people from exposure to asbestos, so other families do not have to watch their loved ones deteriorate so quickly.”
Elke commented “It was heartbreaking to see my dad suffering with mesothelioma for 18 months and the effect the chemotherapy he underwent had on him. He lost all his appetite, was often exhausted, and was suffering with nerve pain in his shoulder. The diagnosis also caused him severe distress and anxiety for his future.”