THE widow of a man who died of an asbestos-related disease has renewed hope in her £200,000 insurance claim.
Brian Edwards, 59, died six months after being diagnosed with the asbestos-related condition, mesothelioma, in January 1999.
His widow, Gillian Edwards, of Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, had been expecting a payout after his death. But a High Court judgement left her without a settlement.
The ruling, known as the Fairchild case, threw into doubt the viability of many mesothelioma cases.
Now, Mrs Edwards is hoping the Court of Appeal, which is hearing the Fairchild case this week, will overturn the decision and set a precedent.
In the case of Arthur Fair-child, who worked in Leeds, the judge declared himself unable to apportion liability for his premature death because there had been two employers.
Mr Edwards was exposed to asbestos throughout his career, starting at Rolls Royce at the age of 14 and then for a company that carried out contract work at power stations.
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