A former Vauxhall Motors apprentice who was diagnosed with a disabling lung condition caused by exposure to asbestos has won a compensation payout from the company.
David King, 58, from Luton, was exposed to asbestos while working as an apprentice fitter and time-served fitter for Vauxhall from 1970-86.
He was diagnosed with pleural thickening in April 2009 which has left him breathless and as a result he has had to give up sport.
Mr King said: “This condition has had a huge impact on my life. I have always worked in manual jobs and kept myself fit and healthy. I no longer have the energy to do the things I used to. It is very frustrating.”
Mr King won a provisional settlment from Vauxhall which enables him to make a further claim from compensation if his condition worsens in the future due to asbestos disease.
Mr King, who has a partner and adult children, had instructed Thompsons Solicitors to investigate a claim for compensation.
He said: “I am relieved that my claim has been successful and that it allows me to re-open the claim if I go on to suffer from other asbestos- related diseases.
“The worry that I will develop cancer like mesothelioma is a frightening prospect.”
Lorna Webster at Thompsons Solicitors said: “Mr King was first exposed to asbestos while working as an apprentice and now decades later he is suffering the effects in his daily life.
“The provisional settlement enables Mr King to have the benefit of some compensation now while preserving his right to claim further compensation if he should sufferer serious deterioration due to the pleural thickening worsening or if he develops other asbestos-related conditions including mesothelioma or lung cancer.”