May 27th, 2005

The widow of a man that worked at Buckingham Palace in London has received compensation after the man was exposed to asbestos and subsequently died from mesothelioma. Mary Costello, who lives in London, received nearly £178,000, which equates to around $330,000.

John Costello was employed by a property services agency between 1970 and 1992. As part of his work, he was required to carry out maintenance engineering duties at Buckingham Palace, and it was determined that this is where he was exposed to asbestos during the course of his work.

In 2001, John died from the asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma. His widow, Mary, had already had to give up her job in order to care for John. Mesothelioma, the disease from which John died, is a malignant cancer caused by exposure to asbestos dust and fibers in the air.

The lawsuit that his widow filed was for the cost of care as well as loss of earnings, and the Crown has admitted breach of duty of care. Mrs. Costello stated, "John loved his job but we never realized that it would eventually kill him."