Another case has illustrated that it is not necessary to have worked with asbestos to be a victim of asbestos-related illness.

The family of a man who died of mesothelioma decades after playing in asbestos dust when he was a child has been awarded substantial compensation.

As a child, George Dickerson had snowball fights with his friends in the asbestos dust that had blown out onto the street from the extractor fan of a nearby factory.

When, in 2006, Mr Dickerson was diagnosed with the fatal disease mesothelioma, which attacks the lining of the lungs, he knew immediately that it had been caused by the asbestos from the factory. He died in August of the same year.

Mr Dickerson wanted to make people aware that the owners of the factory had done nothing to protect local residents from the highly toxic substance. The company accepted responsibility for his illness and an undisclosed amount was agreed in compensation.

This case shows that exposure to asbestos is not confined to workers. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that dangerous substances are properly and safely handled so that members of the public are not put at risk of injury.

Asbestos-related illnesses are among the most common industrial diseases in the UK. We are experienced in handling claims for all kinds of industrial injuries.