John joined Nigel Askew Solicitors in March 2019 having previously worked at a Legal 500 firm in central London.

John’s specialist field of law is industrial disease in which he has almost 30 years’ experience having previously represented trade union members in the North East of England and across the Midlands.

John has successfully won compensation for hundreds of clients diagnosed with mesothelioma and asbestosis and is considered to be one of the leading solicitors in his field in the country.

John also specialises in claims for Vibration White Finger, Carpel Tunnel syndrome, Industrial Asthma and other industrial related respiratory disorders. 

• Mesothelioma Compensation for Dock Worker

John was instructed by a client who had been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos dust while employed at Tilbury Docks in Essex in the 1960’s. John brought a successful claim against the National Dock Labour Board and The Port of London Dock Authority. John secured a compensation award of over £105,000 for his client.

• Mesothelioma Compensation for Electric Press Operator

John was instructed by a client who had been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos dust while working for a company that manufactured materials for the automotive industry, between 1961 and 1966. The client was employed to operate an electric press that pressed rolls of felt, which contained asbestos, so it could be cut into pads for use underneath vehicle bonnets and inside vehicle doors. The client sadly passed away before the conclusion of the case, however, John recovered for his family over £100,000 in compensation.

• Mesothelioma Compensation for Gas Turbine manufacturer

John was instructed by a client who had been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos dust while working for a gas turbine company, based in Lincoln, between 1957 and 1978. The client recalled that a few years into his employment, his employer had arranged to have the entire asbestos corrugated roof and the external wall cladding of the factory replaced with sheet metal. The work took several months to complete and generated a great deal of asbestos dust in the process. While all the asbestos roof sections were ripped out, the factory continued to function as normal below. Many years after his initial exposure to asbestos, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma and sadly passed away before the conclusion of the claim. John was able to secure a compensation award on the client’s behalf in the sum of £59,000. 

• Compensation for Vibration White Finger

John was instructed by a client recently diagnosed with Reynaulds Disease, commonly referred to as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome or Vibration White Finger. The client was employed as Coachbuilder at a firm in Sale, outside of Manchester. He was exposed to large doses of vibration, mainly due to using handheld ‘nut guns’ which were used to screw down floorboards and panels or when tightening nuts in bulkheads. The client would hold his tools in his left hand and support it with his right. When the tools were operating, he could feel the vibration transferring itself into his hands. The client developed symptoms in the fingers of both hands, which included numbness and tingling and pure white blanching in the finger tips. Due to the severity of the client’s injuries and his relatively young age, John successfully secured a compensation award of £50,000 from the client’s employers. 

Outside of work John enjoys ice skating with his twin children and is an avid supporter of his beloved Newcastle United FC.