 Woman Agrees Damages After Husband's Death From Asbestos Exposure at Chatham Dockyard
 Brigitte Chandler An Exmouth woman has received £135k in damages after her husband died as a result of exposure to asbestos at Chatham Dockyard.
Margaret Crump made the claim against the Ministry of Defence after her husband, Lewis Crump, developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos dust
Mr Crump died in 2007 from the disease. He was exposed to asbestos between 1945 - 1958 when he worked as an electrical fitter at the Dockyard. He worked on various MoD ships, including the Narvikand the Ajax and was exposed to asbestos in the ships' boiler rooms where it was used extensively in boilers and pipes.
Brigitte Chandler, a lawyer with Charles Lucas & Marshall and who has specialized in asbestos-related claims for the last 30 years, brought the case on behalf of Mrs Crump - the latest in a series of claims she has brought against the Ministry of Defence.
"Sadly, huge numbers of workers have been exposed to asbestos in ships and at dockyards and I anticipate having to bring many more of these cases in the years to come," she said.
"Workers at the Chatham Dockyard were given no protective clothing or warnings about asbestos - despite the fact the Ministry of Defence were aware of the dangers."
Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer which can take up to 60 years to present itself.
When proceedings were issued against the Ministry of Defence, they accepted they were in breach of their statutory duty and had been negligent in exposing Mr Crump to asbestos. In the course of the proceedings, witness statements were provided by a former work colleague of Mr Crump who had earlier himself been diagnosed with asbestos disease.
Mr Crump was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2006 after suffering breathlessness, exhaustion and weight loss.
Six years ago a regional charity was formed to support victims of asbestos disease and their families. The Swindon and South West Asbestos Group is a regional charity for the South West and has support groups and a free information service for asbestos sufferers and their families. They can be contacted at: PO Box 2729, Swindon, SN1 4ZW. Telephone: 01793 496395. Email: info@asbestosgroup.co.uk Website: www.asbestosgroup.co.uk
For more information contact Brigitte Chandler on 01793 511055 or
brigitte.chandler@clmlaw.co.uk
Brigitte Chandler (contact details):
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