{"id":11396,"date":"2022-10-02T23:48:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-02T23:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=11396"},"modified":"2023-02-13T22:15:28","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T22:15:28","slug":"asbestos-figures-in-history-nellie-kershaw","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/es\/asbestos-blog\/cifras-asbestos-historia-nellie-kershaw\/","title":{"rendered":"Asbestos Figures in History: Nellie Kershaw"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"First Asbestos Lawsuit: The Untimely Death of Nellie Kershaw\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5P84P8-KVSA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Nellie Kershaw is arguably the most important figure in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-learning-center\/legal-history-of-asbestos\/\">asbestos history<\/a> &#8211; the first ever recorded victim of asbestos, whose diagnosis was confirmed by medical professionals as being due to asbestos exposure. She sought compensation from her employers yet was denied any support. Nevertheless, her condition and death led to the first ever <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-blog\/is-it-illegal-to-bury-asbestos\/?highlight=%22osha%22\">asbestos industry regulations<\/a> &#8211; not that they were properly adhered to for many years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column p-4 mx-3 is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ill-fated-career-path-from-humble-beginnings\">Ill-fated career path from humble beginnings<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>Nellie Kershaw was born in 1891, in Rochdale, England. At the age of 12, she began working at a cotton mill, and soon went on to work at a nearby asbestos company, where she would stay for many years. When Nellie was 26 years old, she began working as a spinner for Turner Brothers Asbestos Company in a textile factory. These were the years that saw asbestos use soar in commercial practices. By the time she turned 29, she was developing pulmonary symptoms that would eventually lead to her untimely death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nellie Kershaw\u2019s asbestos-related illness took her life.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-symptoms-and-treatment\">health concerns<\/a>, Nellie continued to work for Turner Brothers for several years, until, in 1922, she became too sick to continue. After diagnosing her with \u2018asbestos poisoning,\u2019 Nellie was issued with a National Health Insurance certificate stating that she was sick and therefore unfit for work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For decades, the asbestos industry denied that asbestosis was a real illness that should be covered by worker\u2019s compensation.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nellie took this certificate to her insurers to seek benefit payments, however, given that her diagnosis related to an occupational illness, she was instructed to seek compensation from Turner Brothers under the Workmen\u2019s Compensation Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At that time, the Workmen\u2019s Compensation Act stated that the suffering of certain specified occupational injury and illness (as deemed applicable by the government) would entitle a worker to payments from their employers. Sadly, for Nellie, it wasn\u2019t quite so simple.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1430\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Image-nellie-article-body-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Image-nellie-article-body-1.jpg 1430w, https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Image-nellie-article-body-1-540x193.jpg 540w, https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Image-nellie-article-body-1-768x274.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Image-nellie-article-body-1-18x6.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns background_pampas is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column p-4 mx-3 is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rogue-employer-turner-newall-hides-behind-technicalities\">Rogue Employer Turner &amp; Newall hides behind technicalities<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>At the time of Nellie Kershaw\u2019s diagnosis, asbestos was yet to be included in the applicable occupational diseases of the Workmen\u2019s Compensation Act. Turner Brothers Asbestos Company had no legal obligation to pay Nellie any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-blog\/what-is-the-easiest-way-to-get-asbestos-compensation\/\">compensation<\/a>, and they took full advantage of this loophole to protect not only their bottom line, but the future profitability of their enterprise at the cost of workers\u2019 health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-trusts\/trusts-database\/turner-newall-t-n\/\">Turner &amp; Newall <\/a>rejected their employee Nellie Kershaw\u2019s request for compensation.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have not received a penny\u2026I should have had nine weeks\u2019 wages now through no fault of my own.\u201d These are Nellie Kershaw\u2019s words, after being denied any assistance by her employers, Turner Brothers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following this rejection, the company issued a stern warning to their insurance company, alerting them to the dangers of accepting any liability for fear of creating a precedent that would devastate their company &#8211; an accurate yet morally and ethically corrupt standpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nellie Kershaw, once a hard-working, healthy young woman, died from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-blog\/asbestosis-and-silicosis-similarities-differences\/\">asbestosis<\/a> in 1924. By that time, she was poverty-stricken, and was buried in an unmarked pauper\u2019s grave at the age of 33. She was a wife and mother who, along with her husband, begged for the compensation she was entitled to, but to no avail.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are no records of any compensation being paid to Nellie Kershaw or her estate after her passing. The Turner Brothers Company completely abandoned this woman to face her illness and death without any assistance or admission of liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns align_center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column sign-mobile text-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:15%\">\n<p class=\"fs_200 color_red\">!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>If you may have been exposed to asbestos, speak with your healthcare provider about tests and screening to help detect the presence of asbestos fibers and <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-injuries\"><strong>asbestos-related damage<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column p-4 mx-3 is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nellie-s-legacy\">Nellie\u2019s legacy<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>Following Nellie\u2019s diagnosis and her employer\u2019s denial of liability, her death was recorded in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pmj.bmj.com\/content\/80\/940\/72#ref-18\">British Medical Journal<\/a>, and many medical professionals became increasingly interested in the case. The Rochdale coroner, Dr. FW Mackichan, conducted post-mortem pathology studies and a microscopic examination of her lungs, and concluded that \u201cpulmonary tuberculosis and heart failure\u201d were the cause of Nellie\u2019s death. The findings revealed that asbestos mineral particles were indeed found in her lungs, and that these fibers, beyond any reasonable doubt, were the primary cause of her asbestosis and subsequent death.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, Kershaw\u2019s original diagnosing doctor contributed to the inquest with a written testimony stating that he had arrived at the \u201casbestos poisoning\u201d diagnosis having seen similar lung conditions in many other patients who worked with asbestos. He stated that up to a dozen similar cases presented to him every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these findings, it would be another 10 years before asbestosis would be listed as an occupational illness eligible for benefit. Furthermore, asbestos companies such as Turner Brothers continued to deny the hazard their workplaces posed to employees, and failed to address the need for any workplace safety measures.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the years that followed, many more deaths were reported, with asbestosis occurring in many more of Turner Brothers\u2019 workers. A 1955 <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/1825122\/\">study<\/a> found that long-term Turner Brothers workers were 10 times more likely to develop lung cancer than the general British population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nellie\u2019s death became the first ever case of occupational asbestos exposure recorded in medical literature. Her case could have literally saved millions of lives, if only Turner Brothers had acknowledged the cause and taken the appropriate action. Instead, they denied liability to protect their profits, and continued to operate multiple asbestos companies for decades more, ignoring warnings and neglecting to even adequately manage the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-blog\/what-is-environmental-asbestos-exposure\/\">environment<\/a> at many of their factories.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nellie\u2019s death and a subsequent Parliamentary enquiry did result in the first Asbestos Industry Regulations being set in 1932. While the dangers of asbestos continued to be buried and ignored by industry employers until the 1970s and early 1980s, Nellie\u2019s case nevertheless brought the dangers of asbestos into focus for the first time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If only\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nellie\u2019s story lies at the heart of the tragic history of asbestos; not only was her diagnosis and death the first-ever recorded case of occupational asbestos exposure, but, had her employer\u2019s response been different, it could have rewritten history and spared the lives and suffering of millions of victims.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns background_pampas is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column p-4 mx-3 is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-asbestosclaims-law\">AsbestosClaims.Law<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>AsbestosClaims.law is your comprehensive resource for all things asbestos. We hope this information is helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any additional questions or concerns related to asbestos, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/\">website<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/channel\/UCZ8k_hDOrgpwHTVwzZHKcmA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube page<\/a> for videos, infographics and answers to your questions about asbestos, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/blogtag\/health-and-safety\/\">health and safety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-blog\/im-moving-should-i-get-a-free-asbestos-test\/\">asbestos testing<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/blogtag\/asbestos-removal\/\">removing asbestos from your home and building<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-mesothelioma-claims\">legal information<\/a> about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-trusts\/what-are-asbestos-trusts-and-why-do-they-exist\">compensation for asbestos injuries<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you believe that you were exposed to asbestos, or have been diagnosed with an asbestos illness, you could be entitled to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/asbestos-claims\">significant compensation<\/a>\u2014money you could use to cover the costs of asbestos removal services, pay for medical treatment, and preemptively protect your physical well-being.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All without filing a lawsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d like help with filing a claim, please <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/about-us\/contact-us\/\">get in touch<\/a> by email at <a href=\"mailto:help@asbestosclaims.law\">help@asbestosclaims.law<\/a>, or call or text us at <a href=\"tel:8334272378\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" id=\"phone_body_8334272378\">(833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378)<\/a> or <a href=\"tel:2064559190\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" id=\"phone_body_2064559190\">(206) 455-9190<\/a>. We\u2019ll listen to your story and explain your options. And we never charge for anything unless you receive money in your pocket.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11400,"template":"","blogtag":[50],"class_list":["post-11396","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blogtag-asbestos-history"],"acf":[],"x_featured_media":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Header-nellie-pano-mobile-220x220.jpg","x_featured_media_medium":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Header-nellie-pano-mobile.jpg","x_featured_media_large":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Header-nellie-pano-mobile.jpg","x_featured_media_original":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Header-nellie-pano-mobile.jpg","x_date":"octubre 2, 2022","x_metadata":{"image_header_blog":"11399","_image_header_blog":"field_5f86255998692","name_author":"AsbestosClaims.Law Staff","_name_author":"field_5fa027bb365d8","image_author":"6020","_image_author":"field_5fa02869365d9","alternative_link":"","_alternative_link":"field_5faae1f7dd7d1","name_location":"","_name_location":"field_63347737c6caa","image_location":"","_image_location":"field_6334775ac6cab","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"[]","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"[\"\"]","_yoast_wpseo_estimated_reading_time_minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_wordproof_timestamp":"","_thumbnail_id":"11400","_wp_old_date":"2022-09-30","_oembed_4aa2271707a09a2a282f0ec8c1e57a76":"<iframe title=\"First Asbestos Lawsuit: The Untimely Death of Nellie Kershaw\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5P84P8-KVSA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>","_oembed_time_4aa2271707a09a2a282f0ec8c1e57a76":"1666631394","_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":{"id":"5P84P8-KVSA","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5P84P8-KVSA","type":"youtube","player_loc":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5P84P8-KVSA","thumbnail_loc":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/5p84p8-kvsa.jpg","last_fetched":1676560756,"duration":142,"view_count":"22","width":480,"height":270,"post_id":11396,"title":"Asbestos Figures in History: Nellie Kershaw - The Law Offices of Justinian C. Lane, Esq. \u2013 PLLC","publication_date":"2022-10-02T23:48:00+00:00","description":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5P84P8-KVSA Nellie Kershaw is arguably the most important figure in asbestos history - the first ever recorded victim of asbestos, whose diagnosis was confirmed by medical professionals as being due to asbestos exposure. 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