Liverpool Worker Diagnosed With Mesothelioma - Sues Employer Over Asbestos Exposure

A 60-year-old machine shop worker has sued BAE Land Systems for ₤300,000 in damages because he has been diagnosed with mesothelioma - called the industrial lung disease.

The plaintiff began working at the Barrow shipyard in 1965 where he spent most of his time working in shops that had asbestos-lined roof and cladding on the walls. He then worked in constructing submarines which confined him in small spaces with other workers who mixed asbestos lagging (a type of insulation) and applied it to the walls. Even after the man was assigned to work in the office, he was frequently in the shop where he was exposed to asbestos dust.

He claims neither respiratory protection nor warnings of the danger of exposure to asbestos dust were provided to him by BAE.

The worker was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in January, 2008, and is now displaying gross symptoms of pain and disability.