Bosses stump up at last for dad after 16 months of legal wrangling
BY SALLY HIND THE family of a labourer who died from cancer caused by asbestos have been awarded almost £500,000 in compensation.
Dad-of-five Dave Pearson, 66, contracted terminal lung cancer after working for more than 40 years at the Methil fabrication plant in Fife.
He died in January last year, weeks after launching his legal case with solicitors Digby Brown.
Dave’s family had to battle insurers for more than a year and the action finally resulted in a £475,000 out-ofcourt settlement this month.
Judge Lady Wolffe criticised the actions of the firms who exposed Dave to the deadly substance and said their tactics were “verging towards an abuse of legal process”.
Heartbroken widow Sue Pearson yesterday encouraged others to never give up on their quest for justice.
She said: “It could have ended months ago if those responsible simply did what was right.
“Thankfully we managed to hold those responsible to account.”
Dave, from St Andrews, had worked 12-hour shifts, nearly seven days a week, at the plant since the 70s.
He wasn’t given a ventilated working space or safety gear and was exposed to asbestos dust while maintaining the brakes and clutches in machinery. A chesty cough and back pain forced him to see a GP and he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in June 2016.
Retired nurse Sue, 63, said: “Dave was a big, gentle, kind, strong-hearted man who worshipped the ground the kids and I walked on.
“I’m grateful to have felt that kind of rare and precious love but it makes his passing all the harder.”
The plant was run by two companies, Redpath Dorman Long (Contracting) Limited and RGC Offshore Ltd. Despite being part of the same group, they delayed the case at the Court of Session by blaming each other while insurers searched for loopholes.
They have yet to apologise.