Inquests into Multiple Potential Asbestos Deaths

Asbestos Deaths

07/10/2008

Consecutive inquests into the deaths of three Rotherham women who died from a form of cancer linked to asbestos are to be held on Wednesday 8 October.

Jean Sutton (aged 75), Maureen Brookes (aged 62) and Doreen Pearn (aged 70) all died of mesothelioma and inquests into their deaths will be investigating the role asbestos played in their illnesses. One of the women was directly exposed to asbestos at work while two of the women had family members who were heavily exposed to asbestos in their line of work.

David Cass from Irwin Mitchell, representing the families involved said: "To have three women from the same area falling terminally ill from mesothelioma, despite not working directly with asbestos, is an example of the growing trend for people who are only slightly exposed to asbestos, for example through the fibres on a family member's work clothes, to be affected.

"Exposure to asbestos created potentially deadly working conditions for years in the UK and little was done about it. Now people are dying as a result of both direct and indirect exposure."

Mesothelioma is a fatal lung disease that can be triggered by even small amounts of asbestos in the lungs – but can take up to 40 years or more after exposure for symptoms to develop in sufferers.