Compensation solicitors news
20/03/2008

Widow's claim helped by anonymous call

An appeal by the Manchester Evening News for information relating to the insurers of a now defunct building company has led to compensation solicitors being able to secure the widow of a man who died from an asbestos-related illness a six-figure sum of damages.

The vital breakthrough came after the newspaper appealed for any readers with knowledge of who insured the company to contact them with the information. The all-important tip-off came anonymously from an ex-worker of the relevant insurers. Although the tip-off alone did not determine the outcome of the asbestos claim, it certainly cleared the way for the firm of compensation solicitors to secure a successful outcome.

A partner with the firm, Pannone, explained, "We were desperate to trace the insurers, because without confirmation of who they were, [the claimant] would not receive a penny."The M.E.N. highlighted [the claimant's] plight and we received an anonymous call from someone who actually worked for the relevant insurance company at the right time."

The deceased man, who worked as a plumber, is believed to have developed his asbestos-related illness as a result of exposure to wet asbestos as well as work with asbestos lagging on boilers and pipes.

A compensation solicitor from the firm who represented the asbestos claim spoke of the frustration felt by many claimants in similar positions, "Sadly this is not a one-off case by any means. Two other solicitors abandoned claims against this same insurer because they were unable at the time to prove who was liable, and we are at the moment struggling to get the names of insurers of other companies in similar proceedings."