Cancer victim launches legal battle for compensation

A man who has been diagnosed with cancer has begun a legal battle in an effort to secure a payout.

John Mullen suffers from mesothelioma, an asbestos-related disease which affects the cells that cover the outer surface of bodily organs.

The 61-year-old cannot be operated on due to his fitness levels and so is being treated with inhalers and pills, the Coventry Telegraph reports.

He is seeking to find ex-colleagues from Insulation & Partitions - a firm which is no longer in operation - where he worked for 18 months from the age of 17.

According to Mr Mullen, he was exposed to asbestos on a daily basis while employed by the company as his role involved cutting and drilling sheets of the hazardous material.

He stated: "Nobody said anything about health and safety. We were not warned and there were other young lads - about 15 of them - who worked with me [who] will have the same condition as me."

Because the business no longer exists, he is hoping to trace the company's former liability insurers in order to secure compensation.

28/08/2008 15:19