Payout to asbestos victim's family
The family of a retired Staffordshire brick-layer who died from an asbestos related cancer, have received a six-figure compensation settlement.
Colin Allen from Great Wyrley, near Walsall, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July 2004 at the age of 73. The condition is linked with exposure to dangerous asbestos fibres. Mr Allen fought the terminal cancer, which affects the lining of the lungs, but tragically passed away only three months later.
It was discovered he had been exposed to asbestos by two of his former employers, F & EV Linford Limited and Sir Alfred McAlpine Capital Projects Limited.
Mr Allen worked for F & EV Linfords as an apprentice bricklayer between 1945 and 1949.
During that time he was contracted to work at the Lotus Shoe factory in Stafford where he was exposed to asbestos while working in the boiler house.
Mr Allen was also exposed to asbestos while working for Sir Alfred McAlpine in the mid 1960s. He was employed by the construction firm as a brick-layer and again found himself working alongside laggers who were applying asbestos in a school on Metchley Lane in Birmingham.
His family took legal action against both companies with the help of Birmingham-based solicitors Irwin Mitchell.
In February this year both firms agreed an out-of-court settlement and made an undisclosed substantial payment to Mr Allen's widow, Dorothy, 77.
Mrs Allen said: "Colin and I had both worked hard all of our adult lives, in addition to raising our son David. We were looking forward to spending more time together during our retirement but that was tragically cut short by his illness.
"Watching Colin go through his illness was incredibly difficult, he was my partner and soul mate and he has tragically been taken from me by this terrible illness."
Solicitor Iain Shoolbred, of Irwin Mitchell, said: "Even in the 1940s, companies were aware of the dangers of asbestos and yet often did little to protect workers.
"As the period between exposure to asbestos and developing mesothelioma can be 20 years or more, we are seeing a significant rise in the number of newly diagnosed cases, which now exceeds 2,000 a year, with figures not expected to peak until 2015."
