Asbestos Related Illnesses

A Swindon woman has received £117,000 in compensation from British Rail following the death of her husband from asbestos exposure which occurred 70 years ago.

Kathleen Morgan, of Wiltshire Avenue, Swindon brought the case after a post-mortem showed her husband, Kenneth, did not develop the disease until 2010, aged 86. He began to suffer health problems in the June of that year and died in November.

The settlement was reached out of court with British Rail also agreeing to pay all legal costs.

Mrs Morgan’s solicitor, Brigitte Chandler, a leading industrial disease lawyer and partner with Swindon law firm, Charles Lucas & Marshall, who has represented many hundreds of railway workers over the last 30 years, says the case shows how long it can take for asbestos disease to develop.

“It is important for people who worked on the railways to remain vigilant if they were exposed to asbestos,” she says. “If they develop any sort of chest problems they should visit their GP.”

Mr Morgan worked at the Swindon Railway Works from the age of 15, starting as an errand boy. He then became an apprentice fitter, turner and erector, working in the notorious AE Workshop where locomotives came in for maintenance and repair and where boilers were coated with thick asbestos.

Mrs Morgan also worked in at the railway works during the war, heating rivets in the boiler shop where she was exposed to asbestos.

She belongs to the Swindon and South West Asbestos Group – a regional charity which provides support groups and a free advice service to people suffering from asbestos disease and their families.

The widows group meets twice a month for friendship and support and organizes a variety of social trips and outings.

For further details contact Swindon and South West Asbestos Group, telephone 01793 532995 e-mail: info@asbestosgroup.co.uk or visit www.asbestosgroup.co.uk

For further information contact Brigitter Chandler on 01793-511055 or brigitte.chandler@clmlaw.co.uk

British Rail has paid £78,000 in compensation to the widow of a former Swindon railway worker who died three years ago from undetected asbestos related cancer.

Cyril Matthews, of St Albans Close, Swindon worked for British Rail for 43 years as an electrical welder and coppersmith and for much of that period was continuously exposed to asbestos.

He retired in 1985, shortly before the works closed and for a number of years was in poor health although no asbestos disease was diagnosed. He died, aged 83 in August 2009.

His solicitor, Brigitte Chandler, a leading industrial disease lawyer and partner with Swindon law firm, Charles Lucas & Marshall, who has represented many hundreds of railway workers over the last 30 years, says that although Mr Matthews’ family was never aware he had asbestos disease, his wife, Hazel, was entitled to claim compensation because it was diagnosed through a post-mortem.

“Mr Matthews suffered from breathlessness for many years,” she said. “He could have been exposed to asbestos 70 years ago – it can take that long for the illness to develop.”

Mr Matthews worked at various locations within British Rail including the notorious AE workshop where locomotives were repaired. Asbestos sheets were broken by hand and used in welding and asbestos was widely used as lagging for boilers which Mr Matthews also had to disturb to fit new pipes and valves.

Brigitte Chandler added that it often happens that asbestosis is not diagnosed until a post-mortem. Railway workers and anyone exposed to asbestos need to be constantly vigilant – particularly if they start suffering from chest problems.

“Unfortunately the area where Mr Matthews worked was notorious for using large quantities of asbestos and there have been other deaths from employees working in the same area,” said Brigitte Chandler.

The Swindon and South West Asbestos Group is a regional charity which provides support groups and a free advice service to people suffering from asbestos disease and their families.

They now offer home visits to sufferers in the Swindon area to advise on benefits available.

For further details contact Swindon and South West Asbestos Group, telephone 01793 532995 e-mail: info@asbestosgroup.co.uk or visit www.asbestosgroup.co.uk

For further information contact Brigitter Chandler on 01793-511055 or brigitte.chandler@clmlaw.co.uk

Brigitte Chandler, partner and industrial disease specialist with Charles Lucas & Marshall, has won a £400k settlement for a widow whose husband died from mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos.

She brought the claim against electronics company, Spectrol Reliance Ltd, now known as Pita Ltd, where the widow’s husband worked as an electronics engineer at its Swindon factory between 1978-1985.

“The size of the settlement is substantial for a mesothelioma case but the deceased was a relatively young man when he died, 56.

“He became ill while he was still working and his wife has therefore lost considerable wages and pension as a result of his premature death,” she said.

The claim was settled shortly before the court hearing when insurers for Pita Ltd agreed to pay.

The deceased man had to regularly go into a boiler room which was lagged with asbestos. No steps were taken by Spectrol Alliance to remove the asbestos until the late 1980s.

“Unfortunately, most industrial boilers had asbestos and many companies were relaxed about removing the asbestos. As a result, people who had to go into boiler houses – which included many tradesmen – were exposed to asbestos and are now developing health problems as a result.

“It is anticipated that the number of people dying from mesothelioma is on the increase and will shortly peak.”

A regional charity, the Swindon and South West Asbestos Group provides support to families affected by asbestos related diseases. It can ne contacted on 01793 532995 or info@asbestosgroup.co.uk

For further information contact Brigitter Chandler on 01793-511055 or brigitte.chandler@clmlaw.co.uk

British Rail has paid £98,000 in compensation to the executors of the estate of a former Swindon railway worker whose asbestosis symptoms remained undiagnosed in the five years prior to his death.

Lesley Jeffries of Folkestone Road, Old Town died in 2009 after four years of very poor health. He had to give up work early and could not manage without an oxygen mask due to significant breathing problems and needed nursing care.

He was never told in his lifetime that he had an asbestos related illness so was unable to bring a claim against British Rail himself.

His executors appointed Swindon solicitor, Brigitte Chandler to pursue a claim against British Rail when Mr Jeffries’ condition was diagnosed through a post-mortem.

“Although we did not have a statement from Mr Jeffries, we were able to pursue the claim through collecting statements from work colleagues,” she said. “They confirmed the asbestos exposure.”

Brigitte Chandler, a leading industrial disease lawyer and partner with law firm, Charles Lucas & Marshall, has represented many hundreds of railway workers over the last 30 years. She says anyone who worked at the Swindon Railway Works who develops breathing difficulties should seek medical advice.

“Unfortunately the hospital was never able to advise whether it was asbestosis,” she said. ” The executors received £98,000 for the pain and suffering Mr Jeffries’ suffered and for the nursing care which he needed in the years leading up to his death.”

Mr Jeffries worked for British Rail between 1960-68 and 1979-1986 and worked in a number of different railway shops, including the large AE shop. He was extensively exposed to asbestos as he was working in areas where asbestos was being removed and replaced on locomotives and he worked on engines lagged with asbestos.

“There are still many people in Swindon who worked in the railway industry who are being affected by asbestos exposure,” said Brigitte Chandler. “On a more positive note, British Rail is now well aware of the problem and providing someone can show they worked there and were exposed to asbestos, most claims are now generally settled out of court.”

The Swindon and South West Asbestos Group is a regional charity which provides support groups and a free advice service to people suffering from asbestos disease and their families.

They now offer home visits to sufferers in the Swindon area to advise on benefits available.

For further details contact Swindon and South West Asbestos Group, telephone 01793 532995 e-mail: info@asbestosgroup.co.uk or visit www.asbestosgroup.co.uk

For further information contact Brigitter Chandler on 01793-511055 or brigitte.chandler@clmlaw.co.uk

British Rail has paid £70,000 in compensation to the widow of a former Swindon railway worker who died three years ago from undetected asbestos related cancer.

Samuel Dean of Queensfield, Swindon worked for British Rail for 33 years as a general crane worker and for much of that period was continuously exposed to asbestos.

The cranes at British Rail contained boilers which were lagged with white asbestos and which were stripped for repair. Mr Dean also worked in outstations, often sleeping in the guards’ van for weeks at a time. Mr Dean slept only feet away from the stove in the van which was covered with asbestos and crumbling from age and heat.

His solicitor, Brigitte Chandler, a leading industrial disease lawyer and partner with Swindon law firm, Charles Lucas & Marshall, who has represented many hundreds of railway workers over the last 30 years, says Mr Dean suffered from breathing problems for the last 15 years of his life.

“He was never given any diagnosis,” she said. “Finally, in 2009 he became much worse and collapsed and died. The post mortem revealed he died from asbestosis.

“There are still many people in Swindon who worked in the railway industry who are being affected by asbestos exposure,” she addded. “On a more positive note, British Rail is now well aware of the problem and providing someone can show they worked there and were exposed to asbestos, many claims are now generally settled out of court, as was the case here.”

Brigitte Chandler added that it often happens that asbestosis is not diagnosed until a post-mortem. Railway workers and anyone exposed to asbestos need to be constantly vigilant – particularly if they start suffering from chest problems.

“Unfortunately the area where Mr Dean worked was notorious for using large quantities of asbestos and there have been other deaths from employees working in the same area,” said Brigitte Chandler.

“Claims against British Rail for asbestos exposure have been running for over 30 years. Even though the works were closed 25 years ago, cases are still arising because it can take up to 60 years for the illness to develop after exposure. Many people who worked there are still suffering from the legacy of exposure to asbestos on locomotive trains.”

The Swindon and South West Asbestos Group is a regional charity which provides support groups and a free advice service to people suffering from asbestos disease and their families.

They now offer home visits to sufferers in the Swindon area to advise on benefits available.

For further details contact Swindon and South West Asbestos Group, telephone 01793 532995 e-mail: info@asbestosgroup.co.uk or visit www.asbestosgroup.co.uk

For further information contact Brigitter Chandler on 01793-511055 or brigitte.chandler@clmlaw.co.uk

This article was published in the Swindon Business News. To read the article please click on the link below:

 Swindon Business News Article – June, 19, 2012 by Owen Fishwick

This article was published in the Swindon Advertiser on Monday 25th June 2012. If you wish to read the original article please click her!

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BRIGITTE CHANDLER had never heard of mesothelioma until one day in the early 1980s.

“Somebody in the office was the wife of a railway worker in Swindon,” Brigitte recalled. “He developed an asbestos cancer and she didn’t know what to do.

“I was very friendly with her and she approached me and said ‘Can you help me?’. I didn’t have in-depth knowledge but I decided I could. We successfully concluded her case.”

Brigitte Chandler

Within a few years the talented Swindon solicitor would be hailed as The Scourge of British Rail, so adept was she at securing compensation for victims and their loved ones. The fearsome title makes her chuckle to this day. “I just want to help people who have been unjustly treated,” she said.

Brigitte’s first name is pronounced with a hard ‘g’ and the last syllable as ‘eh’, which are clues to her origins. She was born in Gutersloh in North West Germany to a property developer father and home-maker mother. They divorced during her early childhood and her mother later met and married a member of the RAF who was based near the town.

Brigitte has two brothers and a sister. A third brother died in a road accident many years ago. Her early childhood included several RAF postings, among them a stint in Gibraltar, before the family settled in Aylesbury when she was 11. “It was quite pleasant,” she recalled, “and nice to settle down.”

The young Brigitte attended a local girls’ grammar school. The future Scourge of British Rail saw a rather different path for herself in those days. “My ambition was to become a ballerina. I wanted to become a world famous prima ballerina.

“I gave that up at about 16. I grew too tall. You have to be small and petite to be heaved around!”

At Manchester University, Brigitte initially read History and Classics but soon grew disenchanted. “I had enjoyed history at school because it was constitutional history, which I like, and there was my interest in statutes. When I got to university it was all about medieval history and ancient history, studying things like how many sheep there were in Yorkshire and how much wool was produced per animal.

“One lecturer had a moat around his house and drank out of goblets – I couldn’t see myself going that way. I wanted something more practical and I thought law was the answer.”

Transferring to a law course after a year of history, she found herself drawn to the law of torts, which concerns redress for a host of wrongs ranging from breaches of duty to physical harm. “I think I came top of my year in torts,” she recalled.

Three years later, armed with a freshly-minted LLB degree, Brigitte headed for the City of London and the beginnings of what would probably have been an extremely lucrative career with a law firm there, had she not decided to leave.

“It was commercial work, which didn’t interest me,” she said.

Hearing of an opening with Townsend in Swindon, Brigitte moved here and did general work until that request for help from a co-worker in the early 1980s. The subsequent three decades have seen her handle hundreds more cases and become the undisputed foremost legal expert in asbestos-related illness. She has familiarised herself not only with all available medical data but also decades of working practices in the Railway Works among other employers. She has pored over blueprints of locomotives, carriages and factories.

Those she has helped include not only former workers and those they left behind but also wives and other loved ones who contracted mesothelioma by washing soiled work clothes.

Brigitte has helped people who suffered other work-related health issues such as deafness, and has been personally responsible for changes in the law allowing loved ones to be compensated for nursing the ill and dying, and for missing out not just on companionship but practical things like driving and decorating.

Like many who have made a positive difference to countless lives, she is modest about her achievements, but admits: “I did make it my life’s work to fight for the people in Swindon who have been exposed to asbestos, not just in the Railway Works but with other employers.

“Work in the City is much more lucrative and I did turn my back on that. Industrial disease work isn’t the way for a lawyer to make millions, but it is helping people.”
Should you like to contact Brigitte Chandler then  please phone 01793-511055 or send an e-mail to brigitte.chandler@clmlaw.co.uk