Settlement for family of former Bradford wood machinist after asbestos cancer death 

Andrew Sutcliffe worked at two furniture manufacturers, Knightsbridge Furniture Productions Limited and New Plan Limited, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, where he claimed to have experienced sustained exposure to asbestos.   
 
He worked for Knightsbridge Furniture in Bradford, at first between 1972 and 1978 and then between 1985 and 1990.  
 
Andrew recalled taking breaks in the boiler room, where asbestos lagging on pipes was in poor condition, resulting in asbestos dust being present in the room.  
 
In between his two spells at Knightsbridge Furniture, Andrew also worked for another Bradford furniture manufacturer – New Plan Limited.  
 
During his first seven months with the company, Andrew remembered working in a basement room with poor ventilation.   
 
He said he was tasked with making fireplace surrounds, and worked alongside colleagues sawing boards to be used as heat resistant cladding for these surrounds. Documents disclosed as part of the case uncovered records which have since shown these boards contained asbestos.   
 
After his retirement, Andrew received a diagnosis of mesothelioma in February 2019 and died less than two years later in October 2020.  
 
Andrew instructed Leigh Day asbestos team partner Claire Spearpoint to investigate his case after his diagnosis, and following his death his family continued his claim  
 
One of Andrew’s former colleagues at Knightsbridge Furniture gave witness testimony about the presence of asbestos in the boiler room, while historical research from newspaper archives and patents showed that boards sawed at New Plan Limited contained asbestos.   
 
A date for the claim to be heard in court was set, but shortly before the hearing both companies agreed to a settlement.   
 
Leigh Day partner Claire Spearpoint said:  
 
“This was a hard fought case, in which we were able to find credible information evidencing the presence of asbestos in Andrew’s workplaces around Bradford in the 1970s and 1980s. We are pleased that this case was able to be settled just before a trial date, saving the family from the stress of a court hearing. While no amount of money can ever make amends for the loss of Andrew, we hope that the settlement will be able to offer some support for Andrew’s wife Carol, as well as the rest of their family.”