Specialist Lawyers Are Investigating Tom’s Exposure To Asbestos Which Caused His Mesothelioma

A former miner, who has been diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, is appealing for help from his former colleagues after instructing specialist industrial disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how he came to be exposed to asbestos.

Tom Hobman Dixon, 86 from Pontefract, was diagnosed with the disease in July 2015. Mesothelioma is a terminal disease that affects the lining of the lungs and is caused by exposure to asbestos decades before symptoms begin to appear. Its debilitating symptoms include chest pain and breathlessness.

Tom is appealing for any of his former colleagues who used to work at Hemsworth Colliery to come forward and provide information regarding the working conditions at the Colliery, as they may be able to help his legal team in his fight for justice.

Tom was employed at the Hemsworth Colliery by the National Coal Board between 1944 and 1969 when Hemsworth Colliery was shut down and he was transferred to Kirkby Pit.

After 1965, Tom worked on the coal face and would put up supports to hold the roof up as the pit was mined. The supports were a bar which was positioned against the roof and locked into place using hydraulic ramps that he jacked up.

Tom was also employed to carry out ripping. Ripping involved shovelling coal that had been taken off the face and putting it onto the conveyors so that it would be transported away from the face back up to the pit.

Tom, who has an adult daughter called Victoria, said: “Obviously, the diagnosis of mesothelioma came as a complete shock to me but to find out that it was caused by my exposure to asbestos during my working life made me very angry.

“The disease has already had a significant impact on my life and I am concerned about what the future holds for me and my family as my condition worsens. I can only hope that some of my former colleagues will come forward and help provide the details my legal team require to help get justice for me and ensure those responsible are held to account.”

Unfortunately due to Tom’s symptoms he has had to have a chest drain fitted and fluid drained from his lungs. He has been told that his condition is life limiting and it has been confirmed that his disease was caused by exposure to asbestos while at work.

Lucy Andrews, a specialist industrial disease solicitor based at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office who represents Tom, said: “We are trying to find answers for Tom and believe that he may have been exposed to asbestos while working for the National Coal Board at Hemsworth Colliery.

“Tom has a fatal condition and understandably wants to know how this could have happened. The dangers and risks from exposure to asbestos dust were widely known by companies from at least the 1950’s.

“All too often we see workers and their families who have been left devastated decades later because they were not given correct safety equipment. We need help from Tom’s former colleagues.”

Anybody who knew or worked with Tom, or who worked at Hemsworth Colliery at the relevant periods and can provide any information is asked to contact Lucy Andrews at Irwin Mitchell on 0113 394 6782 or email Lucy.Andrews@irwinmitchell.com.