Record compensation of more than £250,000 has been recovered by law firm Field Fisher Waterhouse at the High Court on behalf of a widow whose husband died from mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mr John Lambie, of Spalding in Lincolnshire, died in November 2006 at just 62. He was exposed to asbestos between 1965 and 1970 when he worked as an industrial cleaner, cleaning factories and bakeries across the South East. His job involved cleaning the corrugated asbestos roofs of factories and cleaning pipes lagged with asbestos.
His widow, Jane Beesley, who has since re-married, nursed him during his illness at home. In addition to general damages, the judge awarded £25,000 compensation to Mrs Beesley for the care and assistance she gave to her dying husband, which is the highest ever award for care and assistance in a mesothelioma claim.
Harminder Bains, a lawyer in the asbestos claims group at Field Fisher Waterhouse, was instructed to claim compensation from Mr Lambie’s employer, New Century Group Ltd, on behalf of Mrs Beesley. The total award, which included interest, was £253,310. That includes a sum of £72,000 for pain and suffering, again one of the highest awards for this type of case, and the £25,000 for the care and assistance given by Mrs Beesley.
Harminder Bains said: “Mrs Beesley attended to all of her dying husband’s needs in an attempt to give him some comfort. I am satisfied that in this case the court recognised the extraordinary effort it takes to look after a dying man. I hope it is recognised in future cases.”