Coroner records that man's lung cancer is asbestos related

Coroner records that man’s lung cancer is asbestos related

An inquest into the death of a man suffering from lung cancer has heard that his condition was caused by asbestos exposure.

The man died of lung cancer at the James Paget University Hospital on December 29 aged 63.

The man was a retired printer, from Great Yarmouth, and had previously battled stomach cancer in 2001. However, in 2013, he began to suffer from chest pain. He was admitted to the James Paget University Hospital on Christmas Eve after struggling to breathe. It was suspected that he had pneumonia although a lump was found in his left lung. The treating team knew that the man’s cancer was terminal and that sadly, he did not have long to live. Palliative care was arranged for him.

His cancer was caused from exposure to asbestos which occurred while working for Grout and Co in the 1970s.

The inquest, heard that in 2013, the man had made a statement for the purposes of pursuing a compensation claim for asbestos related disease against his old employer. Within his statement, the man said that he was exposed to considerable amounts of asbestos whilst working for Grout and Co in the 1970s. His claim had been settled successfully.

The assistant coroner gave the cause of death as lung cancer caused by asbestos.

Asbestos is a general term used for a group of fibrous minerals known for their thermal resistance, strength and acoustic insulation. Several types of asbestos were commonly used commercially such as blue asbestos (crocidolite), brown asbestos (amosite) and white asbestos (chrysotile).

Asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening. Lung cancer can develop slowly and in most cases, by the time a patient presents with symptoms of lung cancer, it is has already advanced to an incurable disease.

The symptoms most commonly associated with lung cancer are: a persistent cough, breathlessness, wheezing, chest pain and weight loss. It is most commonly diagnosed on chest xrays and CT scans.

Asbestos related lung cancer is thought to be the least common asbestos related condition diagnosed. A combination of asbestos exposure and smoking greatly increases the risk of developing lung cancer. It is suggested that the time from exposure to development of the disease can be as little as 10 years.

Johnathan Steventon-Kiy, specialist industrial disease lawyer, says:

“Claims where a Claimant develops lung cancer and has a history of asbestos exposure, are very difficult cases to pursue. It is important that an experienced specialist asbestos disease solicitor assists the Claimant to ensure that the correct amount of compensation is received. The specialist solicitors in Biscoes Industrial Disease team have many years of experience pursuing these sorts of cases.”

Contact our specialist personal injury, medical negligence and industrial disease solicitors on 0800 413 463 or visit www.biscoes-law.co.uk for more information. You can also follow us on twitter using the handle @biscoesmedneg