Rail worker awarded £40K for asbestos exposure

He spent Four DecaDes working in inDustry

A DERBY man has won almost £40,000 in compensation for having been exposed to asbestos for decades while working in the rail industry.

Maurice Chapman, 86, started working on the railway as an apprentice in 1946, later becoming an electrical engineer until his retirement in 1986. He would disturb asbestos while working on the electrics of the trains.

He was never told of the dangers of asbestos or supplied with protective equipment by his employer, said Thompsons Solicitors, representing Mr Chapman.

After suffering chest pains and breathing problems, he was diagnosed with asbestos-related disease asbestosis.

A great-grandfather of six, Mr Chapman lives alone and has already moved his bedroom to the ground floor as his shortness of breath makes going upstairs difficult.

Mr Chapman’s family said that he had always been a keen gardener and would spend a lot of his time on his allotment. However, his illness left him unable to do this and also prevented him from carrying out simple tasks such as climbing up stairs, said the family.

Mr Chapman and his daughter contacted Unite Legal Services and instructed Thompsons Solicitors to Asbestos under a microscope investigate an claim.

Kevin Hepworth, East Midlands regional legal officer at Unite the Union, said: “People think of asbestos as a thing of the past, but it’s cases like Maurice’s that show it’s still very much present and continues to have a devastating effect on families across the country. We would advise anyone suffering with an asbestos disease, or a loved one, to seek legal advice.

“Because of his Unite membership, Maurice had free legal representation and was able to keep 100 per cent of his compensation.”

The compensation award means he can pay for adaptations to his home. asbestos disease