Asbestos ruling in Supreme Court welcomed by Novum Law

In the case of McDonald v National Grid, the Supreme Court upheld a claim by the family of Mr McDonald who sadly died earlier this year from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma.

Mr McDonald was a delivery driver in the 1950’s and regularly visited London’s Battersea Power Station to collect waste.  When at the premises he was exposed to asbestos dust generated by others working there, such as laggers, and it was this exposure that lead to the development of his terminal illness many decades later. The Supreme Court rejected arguments by the Company and said they had failed to protect Mr McDonald when they were legally obliged to do so.

Novum Law welcomes the decision saying: “ this helps to clarify the law and affords greater protection to the victims of industrial diseases such as mesothelioma.  It means companies cannot shirk their responsibilities for protecting people who are legitimately on their premises and that is not only their employees but anyone else who is on site going about their work,  such as Mr McDonald.  I hope this case will be of some comfort to the many thousands of other victims and their families who are faced with the devastating consequences of these terrible illnesses.”