9th November 2006

Ford Employee Awarded £100,000 in Compensation

An ex Ford employee from Essex, who worked for the company for more than 30 years has been awarded £100, 000 in compensation after contracting the fatal asbestos related disease mesothelioma.

Ronald Whiston, aged 72, worked for the company from 1961 to 1990 worked alongside employees who mixed asbestos lagging and in addition to this Mr Whiston also fitted brake pads that contained asbestos. The client was never given any protective clothing to protect him from the asbestos dust and was never even informed about the dangers of working with asbestos.

Mr Whiston explains: "I can remember the River Plant buildings in Chequers Lane which were made of asbestos. There were always fork lift trucks whizzing around the plant. On a regular basis the fork lift truck would knock into the walls of the buildings I was based in. Sometimes this just caused a dent in the wall, but more often than not, a hole would appear in the wall and you could see the asbestos fibres hanging out. The damaged part of the asbestos sheeting wall would just fall to the floor, creating dust. You could literally see out the hole to the other side."

He goes on to say: "My wife Jacqueline and I are devastated that doing my job all those years ago has now made me suffer this condition. Although Ford had never denied any responsibility, I am angry that they never warned me or any of my colleagues about the dangers of working with asbestos."

Lorna Webster, spokesperson for Clear Answers' lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors said "Mesothelioma is a terrible illness caused by employers' disregard for their workers lives. It's a tragedy for families like the Whistons and shocking to note that asbestos related diseases will cause 10,000 deaths a year by 2010 and will be the biggest industrial killer of all time."

Compensation Claim

Clear Answers' lawyers specialising in mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are able to offer further guidance on likely damages to anyone suffering from an asbestos-related illness, to the families of sufferers, or to anyone who suspects that they or a member of their family may be suffering from, or may have suffered from a work-related asbestos disease.

If you do have a mesothelioma compensation claim and you decide to instruct Clear Answers to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for yourself. Telephone us now on 0800 783 9019 or complete one of our online claim enquiry forms.

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