This year will mark 20 years since the infamous Turner & Newall company went into administration, ending 130 years of asbestos production in Greater Manchester and leaving a legacy of disease and death for the workers and their families.
At its peak, Turner & Newall (T&N) was the world’s biggest asbestos factory. The Rochdale-based company was the first to produce asbestos on an industrial scale, pioneering techniques to weave asbestos fibres into cloth in the late 1800’s. The company grew rapidly throughout the 1930s and 40s, by which point it was clear to the industry that those who worked with the asbestos, came into contact with those who did, or even lived near to the factories were in grave danger.
This fact was not lost on T&N, who had a history of systematically denying and covering up any links between asbestos and the numerous respiratory diseases and deaths to its workers.
T&N went into administration in 2001, financially crippled by the sheer number of legal claims against it, and prevented from producing or importing asbestos by the European Union. A mere £100m compensation scheme was established by the administrators.
T&N UK Asbestos Trust Claims
The T&N UK Asbestos Trust is administered by the T&N Asbestos Trustee Company to provide compensation to those who have either been exposed to asbestos dust during the course of their employment with a T&N company, or have been exposed to asbestos dust through the activities of a T&N company, and who has developed an asbestos related disease. This means an individual could claim compensation if they were exposed to asbestos dust when they washed an employee’s work clothes and are now suffering from an asbestos related disease.
The main T&N companies which manufactured and/or applied asbestos containing products were:
- Turner & Newall;
- JW Roberts Limited;
- Newalls Insulation Company Limited;
- The Washington Chemical Company Limited;
- TBA Industrial Products Limited;
- Turners Asbestos Cement Limited; and
- Ferodo Limited.
T&N claims cannot be pursued through the normal civil claims process through the courts and must be pursued by the T&N UK Asbestos Trust claims scheme. The claim should be submitted to the Trust and we will advise you whether your claim should be submitted for expedited or individual review. This will depend on the asbestos related disease you are suffering from and the likely value of your claim.
Unfortunately, those claiming from the T&N UK Asbestos Trust will only receive a dividend compensation payment and not the full value of the claim due to the limitations of the scheme with the Trust. We can advise you on this further should you be entitled to pursue a claim.
Asbestos related diseases
There are a number of asbestos related diseases such as:
- Asbestosis
- Mesothelioma
- Diffuse pleural thickening
- Pleural plaques
- Lung cancer
Asbestos is known as the ‘hidden killer’ because medical complications caused by exposure to it can often go unnoticed for tens of years. Sadly, there are still people just being diagnosed now with an asbestos related disease who were exposed to asbestos as a result of T&N.
If you or a family member were exposed to asbestos as a result of working for a T&N company or through other activities of a T&N company and you have since been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease then please contact our industrial disease solicitors today on 0161 696 6235 to discuss if you could be entitled to claim compensation from the T&N Asbestos Trust.
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