Landmark asbestos personal injury claim case is won - 06/04/2008

A family has won thousands of pounds of compensation in an out of court settlement after a woman died from an asbestos related illness.

June Harry, from Windsor, worked for Cooper Mechanical Joints for three years in the 1950s, producing car gaskets. As part of her job, she had to cut strips of asbestos and shape them. She became ill in 2005 and was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. She died in May 2006 at the age of 71.

The family’s solicitors have said the case paves the way for others who worked at the company, no longer in existence, who are suffering asbestos related illnesses to potentially make a personal injury claims case. Solicitor Brigitte Chandler said: "Mrs Harry was not provided with any masks, wore ordinary overalls and had no special washing facilities. There were no warnings given to her about the dangers. Asbestos was widely used in this company. It is quite possible other members of the workforce may have developed or will develop asbestos-related problems in the future and it is well worthwhile pursuing a claim."