Personal Injury Law

Widow seeks information about husband?s cancer death from Cobham colleagues

By asbestoshub

Quoted from http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/8637310.Widow_seeks_information_about_husband_s_cancer_death/

Widow seeks information about husband’s cancer death from Cobham colleagues

Monday 15th November 2010

• By Clare Buchanan »

The widow of a former Surrey plumber, thought to have died of asbestos-related cancer, is appealing for his work mates to come forward with information to help her battle for justice.

Doctors diagnosed mesothelioma, an aggressive chest cancer, in William Victor Panes, 78, in June this year.

He died four months later, on October 11. It is thought Mr Panes was exposed to asbestos while working as a plumbing and heating engineer for several local firms in Cobham and Woking, from the age of 14.

Although the companies Mr Panes worked for in the 1940s and 50s have ceased trading it is still possible to pursue legal claims through the employers' insurers.

Helen Grady, a workplace illness expert from Irwin Mitchell solicitors, said: 'Although no amount of money can truly compensate for the death of a loved one, it is important to continue the fight for justice begun by Mr Panes, to find out how he came to be exposed to asbestos fibres.'

To do this it is very important to hear from Mr Panes' former colleagues, who may have important information about working practices at the time.

Mr Panes recalled asbestos being loaded into particular work sites by the lorry load, like bags of flour. He also remembered having to mix up asbestos and cut through lagged asbestos pipes as part of his day-to-day work.

Mrs Grady said he worked for TG Burns between 1962 and 1981 and for Steers between 1952 and 1962, building a new secondary school in Cobham.

Anyone able to assist should contact Helen Grady at Irwin Mitchell Solicitors on 0870 1500100 or email helen.grady@irwinmitchell.com.

Full post as published by Asbestos HUB on November 15, 2010 (boomark / email).