In July 2016, Boyes Turner were instructed by Mr West who had just been diagnosed with malignant epithelioid mesothelioma.Mr West had worked for the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) from 1950 until 1957. He worked for them again for a time in 1959. Mr West was an electrical apprentice and worked hard in gaining his qualifications in the evenings at the Technical College. He was based at Earley Power Station in Reading. It was constructed in the 1940s. Mr West was required to work in the boiler house and the turbine house which he describes as being riddled with asbestos. The power station used asbestos very heavily in order to reduce the risk of fire. There was a lot of asbestos lagging going on during the working day, and asbestos dust was thick in the air. Mr West was not given any warning about the dangers of asbestos, and in fact he and his fellow apprentices would play games with the asbestos, tipping it on each other or throwing it at each other.In 1960, Mr West left the employment of CEGB and went on to work for another employer with whom he remained under 1994 when he retired. In May 2016 Mr West took ill at a wedding and was taken to hospital. His consultants at the Royal Berkshire Hospital were suspicious, and urgent investigations were commenced.Unfortunately, Mr West was diagnosed with malignant epithelioid mesothelioma, a condition for which the only known cause is exposure to asbestos. I drafted a statement and wrote a Letter of Claim to E.On who are now responsible for the liabilities for Earley Power Station. I obtained a medical report from an expert consultant respiratory physician who confirmed the diagnosis and the fact that Mr West’s life expectancy has been significantly reduced as a result of his condition. The financial losses to Mr West and his family were calculated. Although the claim was settled during Mr West’s lifetime, the settlement figure reflected the value of the claim on a fatal accidents basis. It was possible to negotiate this as a result of Mr West’s significantly reduced life expectancy. Mr West had earlier received an interim payment of £50,000. Upon settlement, three months after instruction, his case settled for £165,000.
