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20th November 2006

Ford and the MoD forced to pay compensation as former London plumber dies from asbestos cancer mesothelioma

Compensation for deceased's family

Lawyers acting for a man from Eltham, London, who worked as a plumber for Ford and the Ministry of Defence and died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, have secured over £50,000 in compensation. Upon his death in April 2005, the children of widower William Springham approached personal injury specialists Thompsons Solicitors. Their claim was settled after Court proceedings had been issued in the Royal Courts of Justice, London.

Mr Springham’s symptoms began with breathlessness and a bad chest, and he was diagnosed with the deadly condition in October 2004, following x-rays and a lung biopsy at the St Thomas’ Hospital in London. Prior to becoming ill, he was a very active person, enjoying his well earned retirement as an independent widower.

Exposed to asbestos at work, as a plumber

Born in 1932, William Springham began work as an apprentice plumber and worked on the piping at the Woolwich Arsenal. For a large part of his career, he was exposed to asbestos on a regular basis. Before his death last year, he recalled a visit made to the site by the Duke of Edinburgh and a comment he made about the place being a “white elephant” – a reference to the abundance of asbestos. He remembered that laggers would come in behind the plumbers and lag the pipes, applying layers of the asbestos mixture to the pipes.

In 1958 he went to work for Ford, based at the tractor plant in Dagenham, Essex. There he was employed again as a plumber, overhauling the hydraulics. Before his death, he recalled de-scaling the eight foot steel water cylinders, from which he had to take out the bolts and then de-scale them. The chlorifyers were lagged with asbestos materials which would be disturbed when he removed the bolts.

Susan Bradley, Mr Springham’s daughter, comments: “Our Dad was such an active, lovely man, liked by everyone. It was heartbreaking to see his health deteriorate in front of us. My brothers and I are devastated that he has been taken away from us through no fault of his own and we’re now fighting for justice on his behalf.”

Representing Mr Springham, his solicitor Lorna Webster from Thompsons Solicitors in London, comments: “Throughout his career, William Springham was never provided with a mask or other protective equipment to stop the inhalation of the deadly asbestos dust, nor was he given any warnings about the dangers of asbestos.”

“Too many innocent victims like William Springham are dying as a result of the negligence of large employers including Ford and the Ministry of Defence. And many more tragic cases will follow, with mesothelioma already responsible for 1,800 deaths each year."

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or someone you know has developed mesothelioma or any other asbestos related disease, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.