A retired window cleaner died from an industrial disease, according to a recent report. Sidney Curtis, 90, died at his home in Sheringham on December 31 last year. The cause of his death was an asbestos illness; mesothelioma and ischemic heart disease.
At an inquest into his death held at Norfolk Coroner’s Court on Friday, March 26 an assistant coroner for Norfolk, said he was a retired owner of a window cleaning company. The court heard how Mr Curtis had gone to his GP in March 2020, complaining of chest pains that had first developed the previous year. Following a number of tests, Mr Curtis was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in April 2020.
In a statement, Lisa Harvey, Mr Curtis’ daughter said her family were not sure when her father had come into contact with asbestos, but it was most likely during his time in the cleaning industry.
Asbestos-Related Illness Claims
Asbestos was widely used in the UK as a building material from the 1940s until the 1980s. It was then banned. We now know that Asbestos is incredibly harmful to lung function. Working with asbestos without the right protection can lead to life-shortening illnesses. These include asbestosis, asbestos-induced lung cancer, mesothelioma and pleural thickening. If you or a loved one has an asbestos-related disease, then you may be able to claim.
Mesothelioma Related Illness Claims
Mesothelioma is an extremely aggressive type of cancer. Little or intermittent exposure to asbestos fibres often causes it. Similarly to asbestosis, symptoms include:
- shortness of breath
- chest pain
- coughing
- weight loss
- loss of appetite.
The cause of virtually all cases of Mesothelioma is asbestos exposure.
All employers, past and present, owe their staff a duty of care to ensure their working environment is safe and staff are not at risk. You may be able to claim for an asbestos-related illness if you believe your employer failed in their duty of care. For example, if they did not provide you with the correct safety equipment. Another example is if they did not tell you the dangers associated with working with asbestos.
Asbestos-related illnesses take decades to form and often have a life-changing effect on all involved. The law surrounding asbestos illness claims is complex. Therefore, you should get solicitors that specialise in these types of claims.
How we can help with asbestos illness claims
Here at The Compensation Experts we work with a group of select legal firms who specialise in the law surrounding mesothelioma and other asbestos related claims. So contact us today by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138765 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.