October 11th, 2006

A man from the United Kingdom has won an award of 400,000 GBP in a case where he sued his former employer for asbestos exposure. The man contracted mesothelioma, which is an asbestos related cancer for which there is currently no cure and can significantly reduce the lifespan of the sufferer.

The plaintiff, Amargeet Singh Dahele, is thought to have received one of the highest ever settlements in the UK for this type of case, according to the lawyers that were representing him. He worked as a carpenter for a firm called Field Fisher Waterhouse.

The plaintiff stated that he was working on three tower blocks for Thomas Bates where he was regularly exposed to the deadly substance, asbestos, which is known to cause a variety of health problems including a deadly asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma.

Part of his work involved sawing and drilling asbestos sheets, where he stated that he was showered with asbestos dust when the scaffolding above him was removed. The company admitted liability.