Phil's story: a mechanic, his diagnosis, and making every moment count

These days, Phil measures time a little differently. Between hospital appointments and treatment, he and his wife, Bev, still make plans. They recently travelled to Vietnam together, determined not to let cancer define every moment of their lives.

It's a very different future from the one Phil imagined. At 76, he's living with stage IV lung cancer. But rather than letting his diagnosis become the whole story, Phil is focused on spending as much quality time as he can with the people who matter most.

Phil built his career around cars, not risk

For decades, Phil worked as a mechanic, building a career around engines, workshops, and race cars. Like thousands of mechanics across Australia, working with brake linings was just part of the job.

Between the mid-1960s and late 1970s, he regularly ground and fitted asbestos brake components, creating dust that filled the workshop.

Long before that, as a young boy, he'd also been exposed to asbestos while helping handle cement sheet off cuts his father brought home from work.

At the time, there was no reason to think either experience could one day affect his health.

"We had absolutely no idea that we were dealing with a dangerous product," Phil says.

"There was no reason or indication that we should be taking care when we were using it, let alone not use it at all."

It wasn't until years later that Phil learned just how common asbestos had once been in brake products.

"I didn't become aware they had asbestos in them until later in my life, through the media."

The diagnosis he didn’t see coming

When Phil developed a persistent cough, cancer wasn’t on his mind. Like many people, he assumed it was something minor and went to get it checked out, never imagining the tests would lead to a life-changing diagnosis. When doctors confirmed he had stage IV lung cancer, his life changed overnight.

"The stage IV cancer diagnosis has really changed my life," he says.

"From the time I started treatment until now has just been total chaos."

Like many people facing a serious diagnosis, Phil's thoughts quickly turned to those closest to him.

"I have a beautiful wife by the name of Beverly, and she's got my back," he says.

"I get worried about her and how much of an impact this is on her."

His oncologist asked about his work history and whether he'd ever been exposed to asbestos.

"When I told the oncologist that my work had involved working on cars with my father and the asbestos and the brakes and all that sort of thing, it was actually the oncologist who informed me that my condition was likely related to my work and that I should speak to the dust diseases team at Maurice Blackburn.”

By investigating Phil's history of asbestos exposure, we were able to prove that his diagnosis was linked to the asbestos-containing products he had been exposed to decades earlier.

Phil’s first concern wasn’t himself

The first time I met Phil was at his home, shortly after his diagnosis. He'd just been told he had stage IV lung cancer, and it was clear he was still trying to process what that meant. What struck me most wasn't that he was thinking about himself. His biggest concern was Bev. He wanted to know she'd be okay.

Phil's story is one we've seen too many times. Many mechanics who worked from the 1960s through to the early 2000s handled asbestos-containing brake products as part of their everyday work, without knowing the risks.

If you were a mechanic during that period, there's a good chance you were exposed to asbestos.

Just because that exposure happened decades ago doesn't mean it's too late to seek legal advice. Asbestos-related diseases often take many years to develop, and people can still have legal rights long after leaving the workforce.

Maurice Blackburn’s dedicated asbestos and dust diseases team understands these cases because we've spent decades helping workers and their families navigate them.

Alongside getting compensation, getting Phil's claim resolved meant he could stop carrying the stress of the legal process and focus his energy where it belonged: on himself, his family, and making the most of the time ahead.

More than a legal team in his corner

Legal support was only one part of Phil's journey. Soon after becoming a Maurice Blackburn client, Phil was introduced to Sara McLaughlin-Barrett, our Lung Clinical Nurse Consultant.

Sara works alongside our dust diseases team to provide practical, ongoing nursing support for people living with lung cancer and mesothelioma.

"I'm not a typical part of a law firm," Sara says.

"But for patients like Phil, the health side of what they're going through is just as important as the legal side."

She provides support by phone, telehealth, and home visits, helping people better understand their diagnosis, navigate treatment and access additional services that can improve their quality of life.

"It's not instead of good nursing care," Sara explains.

"It's an extra layer. Someone in their corner who has time when the healthcare system doesn't."

And for Phil, that support became invaluable.

"One thing that really impressed me was that Sally told me I could contact Sara any time I liked, and it wasn't going to cost me anything," he says.

"Even after the claim had settled, I could still make contact with Sara with any medical questions I had."

"It made me feel... I wouldn't say special, but it changed me from being just a number to being a person who was cared about."

Sara says that's exactly why the role exists.

"From the day you become a client at Maurice Blackburn, you also have access to become a patient and receive free ongoing care from a specialist lung cancer nurse," she says.

"That care continues even after your claim resolves."

Focussing on what matters most

While no legal outcome can change Phil's diagnosis, having his claim resolved has given him one less thing to worry about.

Today, his focus remains on treatment, spending time with Bev and continuing to make memories together whenever he can.

Looking back on the support he received, Phil says he never felt like he was facing the journey alone.

"I always felt that the people I was dealing with at Maurice Blackburn had my best interests at heart," he says.

"They were always there when I wanted to speak to them or needed to be reassured."

If asbestos exposure is part of your story, we’re here to help

If you've been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease or another occupational dust disease, it's important to seek legal advice as early as possible to understand your rights.

Many asbestos-related diseases develop decades after exposure, meaning former mechanics, tradespeople, and other workers may still be entitled to compensation.

At Maurice Blackburn, our dust diseases team provides legal support alongside access to a dedicated Lung Clinical Nurse Consultant, helping clients navigate both the legal process and the practical challenges of living with serious illness.