Copper Smith develops mesothelioma decades after exposure to asbestos

Mr Reynolds was 71 when he contacted our specialist industrial disease solicitors at Bond Pearce about his potential personal injury claim due to asbestos exposure.

Having worked since 1949 as a copper smith and plumber with various employers, Mr Reynolds had a long employment history of working with and around asbestos. He recalled working in a "cloud of asbestos dust" when laggers working next to him on ships were mixing and preparing asbestos lagging. He wasn't warned about the dangers of breathing in asbestos dust.

In 2005 Mr Reynolds started to notice that he was getting breathless when walking short distances. Having previously been an active and healthy man, he couldn't understand why this was happening. He was enjoying his retirement, gardening and bowling. Within weeks his condition deteriorated and he was unable to walk more than 30 yards without becoming out of breath. He visited his GP and he was diagnosed with a lung tumour.

Mr Reynolds was treated with chemotherapy but sadly his Consultant had bad news, he had mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. He was told that the condition was terminal and there was no further treatment.

Mr Reynolds sadly passed away during the course of his compensation claim. Andrew Stinchcombe, Mr Reynolds' solicitor at Bond Pearce, continued the compensation claim on behalf of Mrs Reynolds to ensure a secure financial future for her.

Mr Stinchcombe had the difficult task of working through Mr Reynolds complex employment history of 48 different periods of employment. Two of the previous employers accepted that they had negligently exposed Mr Reynolds to asbestos dust. A further employer raised a complex legal argument about the timing of Mr Reynolds exposure. Thanks to the expertise and experience of Mr Stinchcombe, he was able to overcome these legal arguments and secure a successful settlement for Mrs Reynolds of a sum in excess of £100,000.00. This settlement was reached out of Court.

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