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You are in: Home Page | About Thompsons | Our Community Campaigns | Campaign for an Employer’s Liability Insurance Bureau | Case Studies

Campaign for an Employer’s Liability Insurance Bureau

Case Studies

KENNETH VARNEY

Ken Varney died of mesothelioma in 2006, aged just 55, leaving a dependant widow, Jean.

Ken’s only recollection of asbestos exposure was during a period of employment in 1974 with G.T. Robinson & Son Limited in Middlesbrough where he cut asbestos cement boards with a handsaw and jig saw.

The asbestos boards were used in the fabrication of partition walls in accommodation cabins for offshore oil modules. He had no protection and was given no warning about the dangers of asbestos.

George Robinson & Son Ltd was established in February 1907. It changed name to Dawson & Crosland (Export) Ltd in January 1988 and was dissolved in January 1996.

All enquiries as to the identity of the employer’s liability insurers, including a search of the on line ABI tracing scheme, have drawn a blank.

Ken received a Pneumoconiosis Workers Compensation Act (PWCA) 1979 payment of £44,535. Jean will never receive compensation for his death unless the insurer can be found.

JEFFREY WILLIAM HURRELL

Jeff Hurrell died in 2006 aged just 57 from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma, a year after his diagnosis. He had four children, the youngest of whom was 9 years old when his dad died.

Jeff was exposed to asbestos when he worked in the 1960s for two Teesside based building contractors - John Proud Limited and Sam Spaldin Limited.

Jeff was responsible for cutting asbestolux boards to fabricate soffits and ceiling tiles. He was not given any protection or warning about the dangers of asbestos.

John Proud was dissolved in April 1967. Sam Spaldin went into liquidation in May 2002 and was dissolved in April 2007.

Enquiries of the ABI tracing system, an insurance archaeologist – a specialist in finding old insurance records, liquidators and insurance brokers failed to identify any employer liability insurers for either company.

Jeff received a Pneumoconiosis Workers Compensation Act (PWCA) payment of £39,646. His dependant widow, Sue, and children will never receive compensation from the employers who exposed him to asbestos unless an insurer can be traced.

FRANK MARSH

Frank Marsh from Kent worked for nearly 20 years for the sign making firm EJ & Bradford Limited. He started there as an apprentice in 1949 when he was just 15 years old.

He routinely drilled asbestos panels and fire doors containing asbestos insulation to fix lettering and signs. He was not provided with any protection or warned about the risks of asbestos exposure.

He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2006 and died on 5 Dec 2007.

EJ & AT Bradford Limited was established in 1937 and dissolved in 1993.

Despite extensive enquiries of the Registrar of Companies, former Company Directors and the online Association of British Insurers (ABI) Tracing Scheme no details of any employers liability insurers have been found.

Frank received a Pneumoconiosis Workers Compensation Act (PWCA) payment of just £11,931. He and his family did not receive a penny of compensation from his former employer.