A man diagnosed with the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma has been awarded £200,000 in compensation.

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, worked as a labourer’s mate, mixing asbestos for use in the insulation of boiler pipes in a power station.

After discovering that the mesothelioma was almost certainly caused by his exposure to asbestos at his place of work, he decided to make a claim for compensation.

His former employer, now part of Cape plc, denied that it had ever employed the man and also that it had ever carried out work at that particular power station. Despite this setback, he persevered with his claim and, when the case was brought against Cape plc, evidence was produced that resulted in him being granted £200,000 in compensation.

Mesothelioma cancer can develop in the tissues covering the lungs or the abdomen and can strike up to 40 years after the initial exposure to asbestos. There is no cure and the disease often progresses quickly. Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more mesothelioma cases as a result of employers having failed to protect their workers from asbestos in the past.