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8th March 2010

British Rail worker’s family compensated for mesothelioma death

Mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos

The family of a South West London man who died from asbestos related disease has received compensation of £89,000.

Alan Terry, 76, a member of train drivers’ union ASLEF died just seven months after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

There is no cure for mesothelioma, which is caused by exposure to asbestos.

Exposed to asbestos working for British Rail

Alan was exposed to asbestos while working for British Rail from 1952 until 1996. He started working when he was 20 at the Streatham Hill depot cleaning locomotives and worked his way up to become a train driver in Victoria before he retired after 44 years of service.

He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in December 2007 after attending his GP complaining about loss of energy and breathlessness. An x-ray showed he had fluid on his lungs.

Alan was the full time carer of his partner, Olive. He decided to pursue compensation after he became too ill to ensure she was provided for. His union referred him to asbestos compensation specialists, Thompsons Solicitors, for advice.

Brother made claim for compensation

Sadly Mr Terry and his partner died leaving his brother aged 64, to pursue the claim.

Alan’ s brother said: “After Alan and Olive died I decided to take the claim on in my brother’s memory. The compensation was less important than making sure Alan’s employer recognised the lives they had ruined by exposing him to asbestos.”

Thompsons successfully settled the claim out of court after British Rail admitted liability.

Keith Norman ASLEF General Secretary said: “Asbestos was commonly used as fireproofing in locomotives resulting in many of our members being exposed to a risk of fatal disease. Many, like Mr Terry, were unaware of the dangers.”

Lorna Webster from Thompsons Solicitors said: “The union’s legal service has decades of experience of pursuing asbestos claims with the expertise that our clients and their families can rely on to deal with tragic cases like this sensitively, efficiently and at no cost to themselves.”

Mesothelioma Compensation Claim Advice

If you or someone you know has developed mesothelioma or any other asbestos related disease, telephone us now for accurate and free compensation claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any personal injury claim.  For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters and have teams of specialist mesothelioma solicitors / lawyers. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for mesothelioma compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors 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 you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.