UK family wins asbestos payout in death of railway worker

November 20, 2009

The family of a railway worker in Oxford, United Kingdom whose death was tied to cancer caused by asbestos exposure received a payout of approximately £100,000.

In 2005, Dudley Maasz was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a disease resulting from exposure to asbestos. He had been exposed to the substance during his time in the 1940s as a railway worker for Great Western Railway, where he took part in cleaning engines and serving as a fireman. Maasz died in July 2006.

The company BRB (Residuary) Ltd., the successor to British Railways Board, came to an agreement to give Maasz's family a payout of £98,000 and costs as a settlement.

Brigitte Chandler, the Maasz family's solicitor, told BBC News, "We were able to establish that Mr Maasz death was caused by asbestos during his employment at the Oxford works."

Dudley Maasz's brother Norman described him to BBC News as outgoing, and a "friendly chap". He said that he had noticed his brother begin to complain of shoulder pain approximately four years ago, and subsequently began to sleep more and later was bedridden a majority of the time.

"One day I looked at him and thought &mdash; my goodness &mdash; he was half the size, he'd been eaten away, I felt so sorry for him," said Norman Maasz.

BBC News reported that no individual from BRB (Residuary) Ltd. was available to provide a comment about the payout to the Maasz family.