Mesothelioma Patient Passes Away Following Asbestos Lawsuit Win
Mesothelioma patient Dianne Willmore was awarded more than $390,000 October 14, 2009 when Knowsley Council was found liable for exposing Willmore to asbestos, a toxic mineral known to cause her rare cancer. Willmore passed away from the cancer the following day on October 15, 2009.
Willmore was exposed to asbestos in the 1970s during her time as a student at Huyton’s Bowring School in Merseyside, England. Asbestos exposure occurred in the school through ceiling tiles located in the restrooms. The tiles released asbestos fibers when they were disturbed by students who would hide items in the ceiling.
Knowsley Council was found liable for her exposure because the High Court determined the Council “knew or ought to have known that any more than minimal exposure to asbestos dust was foreseeably hazardous.”
Though Willmore tragically passed away one day after the judge ruled in her favor, her lawyer was able to inform her of the victory. “I managed to contact her last night to tell her the good news, she was delighted. Obviously she was having problems speaking because breathing had become so hard for her,” said Willmore’s attorney.
Willmore’s mesothelioma diagnosis occurred in 2007, decades after her initial exposure to asbestos at the school. Mesothelioma patients often take years to demonstrate symptoms of the cancer, allowing the cancer to progress to later developmental stages.
The long latency period associated with the cancer can make mesothelioma treatment difficult, as the cancer has often spread by the time diagnosis occurs. Though a cure does not exist, treatment options including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery may be available to patients to combat the cancer.
The ruling in favor of Willmore marks the first time an asbestos exposure lawsuit has ruled in favor of a student in England, prompting Member of Parliament Paul Rowan to say Willmore’s case “has helped every member of staff and pupil who has been, or will be, exposed to asbestos in a school.”
Additional information about asbestos exposure and mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
