No win, no fee explained: Roberts Story

Robert felt a niggling pain across his back that wouldn’t go away, and noticed some shortness of breath while he was walking his dog.

Robert went to his GP, who ordered some scans which revealed that he had fluid on his lungs. Soon he was sitting in a specialist’s office, who gave him the devastating news that he was suffering from mesothelioma; a rare and aggressive cancer which is only caused by exposure to asbestos.

Robert couldn’t understand it. He had worked in an office all of his life. He hadn’t worked with asbestos and could not imagine how this had happened to him. Amidst starting medical treatment and coming to terms with his diagnosis, Robert did not want to think about compensation. It was the last thing on his mind. However, his doctors and his family encouraged him to investigate whether he might have any compensation entitlements.

Robert decided to call Gordon Legal – just to ask the question, more than anything else. He spoke to Victoria Keays, partner of Gordon Legal’s Asbestos and Dust Diseases Department. Victoria arranged to visit Robert at his home the next day. Together, Victoria and Robert talked about his history, including where he had worked and lived over the years.

In the course of that conversation, Robert recalled that he had performed a renovation to his home in the late 1970s, adding bedrooms for his growing family and remodelling the dated bathroom. He used asbestos cement sheeting to clad the walls in the bathroom, which he cut to size with a power saw.

Victoria explained to Robert that he had a strong claim against the manufacturer of the asbestos cement sheeting that he used, and that Gordon Legal would be pleased to act for him on a “no win no fee basis.”

Within about four months, Robert’s claim settled out of court for in excess of $500,000 plus a contribution to his legal costs. Whilst the compensation couldn’t give Robert his health back, he was comforted knowing that he could afford whatever home care he might need, and that his family would be looked after in the future.

*In order to preserve the privacy of our clients we have changed the names of persons involved.
For more information or to speak with a Gordon Legal lawyer, contact us today on 1800 21 22 23