A settlement has been awarded to the family of a former railway worker from Oxford, in the United Kingdom, by BRB Limited. Dudley Maasz, the former railway employee, died from mesothelioma, an asbestos related disease that occurs in some industrial workers as a result of negligent exposure to the material on the behalf of the employer.
Mesothelioma is an incredibly aggressive and incurable cancer. The disease develops as a result of either breathing or ingesting airborne asbestos fibers. The asbestos fibers become lodged in a soft tissue called the mesothelium which acts as a protective lining for the organs in our bodies. The tiny asbestos fibers cause sever scarring in the mesothelium tissues, which years or even decades later can become malignant tumors that grow and spread very quickly.
Asbestos was popular in the construction, mechanical, and manufacturing industries throughout the 20th century due to its incredible heat resistance, flexibility, durability, and general versatility as an insulator and fire retardant. While industry and medical professionals were aware of its harmful effects as early as the 1930′s, its use continued for several decades due to its importance to industry and a concerted effort to downplay its negative health affects. Most asbestos related diseases take several decades to fully develop to a diagnosable state, resulting in a huge and consistent rise of mesothelioma diagnoses since the 1970′s and 1980′s – several decades after the peak of the material’s usage in industry.
Employers of mesothelioma patients who exposed them to the fibers are now being held responsible for their actions, even decades later.
Mr. Maasz regularly breathed in asbestos fibers while working as a fireman and cleaner for Great Western Railway in the 1940′s. Many of the mechanical elements of the locomotives were insulated with asbestos sheets and fabrics which released asbestos fibers into the air when they were disturbed. At the time, not only did employers regularly introduce the material into the workplace, but they didn’t warn their employees of the substance’s dangers, either.
Mesothelioma is very difficult to diagnose for various reasons. One reason is that the disease can take decades to occur after exposure to the carcinogenic agent (asbestos in this case). Mesothelioma is also difficult to diagnose because its symptoms consist of general aches, pains and fatigue that are easily confused with other more common illnesses.
After working for the Great Western Railway, Mr. Maasz left the company and worked first for the Oxford University Press and later for Morris Motors. Dudley began noticing pain in his side and shoulder in 2005, and was diagnosed with mesothelioma later that year. He died a victim to the disease in July of 2006, when he was seventy four years old.
BRB (Residuary) Limited, formerly British Rail, has paid Maasz’s family’s claim of £98,000 plus costs.
