In such challenging times, our Leeds office has reached a major milestone by recovering over half a million pounds for local hospices to cover the cost of care provided to patients with asbestos-related disease (ARD).
With charities facing a £4 billion shortfall in funding due to COVID-19, hospices that provide an essential service for hundreds of thousands of people at the end of their life each year are facing their own battle for survival.
We’re committed to helping these incredible places continue to provide frontline care to vulnerable people and their relatives at a very sensitive and emotional time in their lives. By reimbursing them for their vital work, we know that these funds will enable more patients to be supported in the future.
How we got here
In 2010 we secured hospice costs for James Wilson, who developed mesothelioma after working at a power station in the 1950s. Mr Wilson sadly died in 2007 but his daughters carried on the claim for him.
They made two claims. One claim was for their father’s estate and his family. The second claim was for St Joseph’s, where he was cared for in the final stages of his life. The case was the first of its kind where costs for hospice care were included in the compensation settlement. This acknowledged the crucial end-of-life support hospices provide for those suffering from mesothelioma.
The landmark judgment ruled that the insurers of a company responsible for the death of a worker from an ARD should contribute to the cost of the care provided to the victim by the hospice.
A fitting way to pass the milestone
The milestone was passed by recovering over £9,000 for St. Teresa’s Hospice in Darlington after they provided care to Frederick Smith (known as Tom) following his diagnosis with mesothelioma in February 2019.
Tom, from Thirsk, passed away 9 months later, aged 75, after a short battle with the illness. Before he died, Tom asked our specialist team to investigate how he developed the life-changing condition and following his death, his wife Sheila, and daughters Alison and Nicola continued his search for answers.
We secured a settlement from the insurers of ICI in Billingham, where his exposure to asbestos most likely took place. He was employed there in the 60s for over a decade.
While nothing can replace the time she’s lost with her husband, Sheila can at least draw comfort from the positives that come from recovering the money for the hospice that cared for Tom. Sheila said: "Tom was a wonderful father, grandfather and husband. We all miss him every day.
"Towards the end, Tom needed looking after 24 hours a day and was initially admitted to the hospice for pain management. He was very confused due to the medication, and the staff were a wonderful comfort and support.
"While nothing can bring Tom back to us, at least we know he was in good hands at the end. The hospice deserves every penny and I’m sure it will be put to good use to help others in their care."
Committed to helping hospices around the country
Our team of experts sadly understand all too well the critical role hospices play in end of life care, which is why we try and recover funds up and down the country.
Across the firm in 2020 alone we’ve recovered over £300k and hope this makes a difference during such a difficult time for charities.
The recovery of hospice costs in Leeds was led by Ian Bailey and Ian Toft, partners who specialise in ARD. Ian Toft summed up why it matters so much. He said: “To recover over £500,000 for hospices who have cared for our clients and their families at such a difficult time is a vital part of our work.
"Hospices perform an important role in delivering end of life care and we know it means a lot to families like Tom’s that hospices are not out of pocket as a result. The recovery of these costs is a way for the families to show their support and means others will be able to benefit from the same high standard of care in the future."
You can find out more about our landmark cases here.
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