Mesothelioma Claim against Newcastle Shipyards (Vickers Armstrongs)

Vickers-Armstrongs was one of the most important warship manufacturers in the world and had shipyards at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and the Naval Yard on the River Tyne.

In the shipyards, asbestos was regarded asas ideal material because of its heat resistant qualities and ability to resist corrosion. Asbestos was used everywhere, all over the ship, especially in boiler rooms, to lag boilers, pipes and incierators.. Shipyard workers were among the most frequently exposed industrial workers .

In the pre 1970s shipyards, health and safety was not enforced l, workers rarely had e protective clothing or masks to stop them from breathing in asbestos dust. They worked in confined areas within the ships which were poorly ventilated meaning dust levels were intense..

Sadly, the greater the levels of exposure, the greater the chance of developing an asbestos related disease such as Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer or Asbestosis.

Mr K was diagnosed with mesothelioma, and sadly passed away at the age of 66.

He was exposed to asbestos when he worked as an apprentice for Vickers-Armstrongs in the Newcastle shipyards. Mr K worked in both the shipyards in Barrow-in-Furness and the naval yard on the River Tyne.

Mr K’s family was awarded £760,000 because the value of his claim was mostly determined by his earning potential at the time he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Mr K had left the shipyards in Newcastle and started working in the offshore oil industry earning earning 6 figures salary. He took the decision to carry on working after his diagnosis of mesothelioma. In the course of his claim it was established that there ws a big skills shortage in his area of work and his skills were in great demand. Many workers in this area continue to work into their 80’s.

The oil industry is volatile and many countries that produce the oil are politically unstable. The instability added a layer of complexity to the case and impacted his earning potential.

However, there was a skills shortage in Mr K’s area of work.He was in great demand, however, the nature of his work meant that he rarely had long term contracts and frequently changed jobs, which added further complexity to the case and had a bearing on the amount that was awarded.

Mr K his wife and step-daughter who both lived in Brazil and were dependent on his income. The exchange rate between the Brazilian peso and the dollar, as well as the growth of the economy in Brazil also meant that his wages were worth less year on year. This meant that he would have had to continue working for as long as he could. Despite this, the amount of compensation in this case was exceptional.

We look at claims on a case by case basis and do all that we can to maximise the value of your claim.