A family in the United Kingdom has secured a five-figure mesothelioma settlement following the death of their father, a longtime Ford production worker. The man died from the asbestos-related cancer months after being diagnosed, and his exposure was traced to asbestos-lagged pipes at Ford’s Dagenham and Basildon manufacturing facilities. He’d worked at the facility for 40 years.
Mesothelioma Diagnosed in Retired Ford Worker
The unnamed mesothelioma victim initially began working at Ford’s Dagenham Tractor Plant in the late 1950s and spent several years on the production line bolting gearboxes to engines. After moving to Manchester and returning to London in 1970, he returned to his job at Ford, this time working at the newly built Radiator Plant in Basildon.
Before his mesothelioma death, the man described the Radiator Plant as having “asbestos lagged pipes all around the perimeter of the factory.” His role included loading metal parts into enormous furnaces to harden them, then putting them into tanks filled with trichloroethene to strip grease and oil. He recalled the working conditions as “awful, with toxic fumes filling the small space.” After about five years, he shifted to working as a forklift truck driver for the remainder of his career before retiring in approximately 1998 at age 65.
Mesothelioma Victim’s Brother Assists in Identifying Source of Asbestos Exposure
When the man first experienced a persistent cough and other symptoms associated with mesothelioma, he was prescribed three courses of antibiotics. When that failed, his daughter took him to the hospital, where chest X-rays revealed fluid in his lungs. He underwent a pleural biopsy that confirmed that he had the rare form of cancer.
Though he was initially unable to identify his source of exposure, the mesothelioma victim’s brother, who worked at the same plant as a plumber, described how he and other plumbers would often climb onto the asbestos-lagged pipes to repair leaks, hacking away at the toxic material so they could access the valves. It was this disturbance that created the airborne fibers the man had inhaled. The brother also recalled later seeing the asbestos removed by contractors in hazmat suits.
Mesothelioma is a global problem, with approximately 2,700 people diagnosed each year in the United Kingdom and over 3,000 in the United States. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with this deadly asbestos-related disease, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn how we can help.