Compensation ensures that man will receive stairlift

A man who has contracted cancer after working for a business that manufactured doors made of asbestos in the 1960s has won a payout from the company he worked for. Martin Rudge described the compensation as a “huge relief” and is glad that he will not have to worry about paying for care costs and the installation of the home stairlift and walk in shower that he needs.

Rudge worked at Halesowen Joinery Ltd from 1966 until 1974, making fireproof doors out of sheets of asbestos. He had to cut the sheets to size and the dust that was created has led Rudge to develop cancer in the lining of his lungs. Rudge told reporters that he was "shocked and devastated" at the news, which he received in December 2012. It was clear from the condition, mesothelioma, that the asbestos dust was the cause of the cancer and that the company had not given Rudge any warning or protective equipment.

After his diagnosis, Rudge sought the services of law firm Irwin Mitchell and was compensated with a six-figure settlement from Halesowen Joinery Ltd after a legal battle that lasted around one year. Since Rudge was diagnosed he has been undergoing chemotherapy, which has made him breathless when using the stairs. He is hoping to install a stairlift and walk in shower and bath enclosures at home to help make daily life easier for him, which his settlement will comfortably cover.

Rudge told reporters in an interview, which can be read here, that he "can now concentrate on spending as much time as possible with my sons" and hopes to be able to continue working for his window business that he runs with his son Gavin. His compensation has meant that spending time with family is all he needs to concern himself with now, as sourcing mobility aids and paying care costs should no longer be a problem.

Image Credit: jasleen-kaur (flickr.com)