Recently Ivan Simic, Accredited Personal Injury Specialist and expert in Dust Diseases, acted for a retired electrician who had been diagnosed with a dust related disease.
Ivan’s client had completed an electrical apprenticeship and then worked as an electrical tradesman back in the late 1940s and 1950s. During this time, he had some exposure to asbestos dust, particularly working on housing construction where asbestos sheeting had been used in the construction of the homes.
In the late 1950s, Ivan’s client went to work at the Goodyear Tyre Factory in Sydney. The factory was situated next to the James Hardie asbestos factory. For the next thirty years, our client was exposed to asbestos dust on almost a daily basis. In the Goodyear factory, asbestos was used to lag pipes and as insulation and could be found in most sections of the factory, but the real trouble was next door. The Hardie’s factory created a lot of asbestos dust which was airborne and blanketed the Goodyear factory.
Eventually, the Goodyear factory attempted to clean up the asbestos in its factory and made a big effort to get rid of all asbestos in the factory. But still the dust from the Hardie’s factory penetrated our client’s work environment on a daily basis.
During the 1990s, our client developed a cough and eventually was directed to the Dust Diseases Board and given a pension for a dust related disease that he had contracted. Having been told of the risks that exposure to asbestos could have on our client, he became very anxious and depressed. A number of his friends who had worked with him at the factory had died of dust related diseases. Eventually, having thoroughly investigated the claim, Ivan was able to commence proceedings on his clients behalf in the Dust Diseases Tribunal of NSW and was able to achieve a very satisfactory settlement for his client in respect to his dust related disease.
Commenting on the case, Ivan stated:
“It is tragic to meet so many workers who have been exposed to this insidious disease. The anxiety and depression that flows from being told that you have an incurable dust related disease is devastating on many workers and their families”.
If you believe you have developed an asbestos related disease, or if you are aware of family members, friends or acquaintances who may have been exposed in this way, please don’t hesitate to contact Ivan Simic at Taylor & Scott Lawyers on 1800 600 664.
At Taylor & Scott “ We Care For You.”
