A former HSBC employee who developed an asbestos-linked cancer after being exposed in the 1970s and 1980s has received a £900,000 payout.
According to the law firm acting for the worker, referred to as ‘DT’, she only learnt she had mesothelioma when she had a chest x-ray following a car crash in 2018, which she linked to asbestos exposure while working for a Midland Bank branch in Nottingham years previously.
DT, who was 57 at the time of her diagnosis, was forced to resign from work to undergo life-extending treatment.
The woman worked as a junior clerk at the Alfreton Road branch of Midland Bank, now HSBC. She had been responsible for carrying out the daily filing in the loft area, using cabinets that had been lined with asbestos fireproof boarding which were difficult to open.
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She said: “I often had to tug at the drawers, which would result in little puffs of dust filling the air. The pipes I would often sit on to carry out my work were also lagged with asbestos so when I was diagnosed I knew straight away where I had been exposed. I just didn’t know at 17-years-old what the consequences would be.”
Law firm Thompsons Solicitors said HSBC has accepted full liability and agreed to a £900,000 payout that reflects DT’s significant loss of earnings, which she will use to fund life-extending treatment and ongoing care.
DT, a highly-qualified academic, has held several executive and non-executive roles in the public and private sectors.
When she received the diagnosis, DT was told that her health could deteriorate quickly due to the aggressive nature of her illness.
She now wants to increase awareness of asbestos-related diseases among people who have worked in jobs that are not traditionally linked to asbestos exposure.
The material is more commonly found in male-dominated industrial settings including mines and factories.
“What has happened to me emphasises the potential risks that women faced while working in the 70s and 80s in office environments that are not usually associated with asbestos exposure. I hope that by speaking out about my experience, I can help spread the message that asbestos-related illnesses don’t just affect men,” she said.
She has tried to reach out to former Midland Bank colleagues to make them aware of the risks they had faced.
Nikki Hammonds, a lawyer in the asbestos claims team at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “Sadly, there are many people like DT who were working in clerical roles in banks and other offices environments that were completely unaware of the presence of asbestos, and the potential harm that it can cause.
“In this case, DT’s employer had been responsible for protecting workers from exposure, yet it failed to take any action to provide protective equipment or to remove the dangerous dust.
“DT has been incredibly brave speaking out about her ordeal, and I hope it goes some way to raising awareness of the devastating consequences of asbestos exposure and that there is help available for anyone who develops symptoms linked to mesothelioma in later life.”
HSBC declined to comment.
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