25.02.2015
Reginald Alfred Fletcher, who was known to his workmates as Reg, died from mesothelioma on 9th December 2014 at the age of 87. He had suffered symptoms of the disease for almost a year and although he never received a diagnosis during his lifetime, a post mortem confirmed mesothelioma.
Now his wife Constance, known as Connie, who was married to Reg for 62 years, has instructed expert asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how, where and under what circumstances her late husband was exposed to the deadly substance.
She believes Reg, a father-of-one and grandfather-of-two, was exposed to asbestos during his employment as an artic driver with Watney’s between 1955 and 1988. The company later became part of Trueman’s and was eventually taken over by Diageo.
Connie, from Chingford, recalls Reg telling her that he collected barrels of beer from the Watney’s brewery, where asbestos was used in many areas. She also believes her late husband assisted in maintenance work on the vehicles, including the brakes and clutches, which contained asbestos.
Natalia Rushworth, an expert asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said:
Expert Asbestos Related Disease Lawyers Investigating Asbestos Exposure
The devastated widow of a former artic driver from Chingford, who died from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos dust decades ago, has launched a search for her husband’s ex-work colleagues at Watney’s, a brewery based in Whitechapel.Reginald Alfred Fletcher, who was known to his workmates as Reg, died from mesothelioma on 9th December 2014 at the age of 87. He had suffered symptoms of the disease for almost a year and although he never received a diagnosis during his lifetime, a post mortem confirmed mesothelioma.
Now his wife Constance, known as Connie, who was married to Reg for 62 years, has instructed expert asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how, where and under what circumstances her late husband was exposed to the deadly substance.
She believes Reg, a father-of-one and grandfather-of-two, was exposed to asbestos during his employment as an artic driver with Watney’s between 1955 and 1988. The company later became part of Trueman’s and was eventually taken over by Diageo.
Connie, from Chingford, recalls Reg telling her that he collected barrels of beer from the Watney’s brewery, where asbestos was used in many areas. She also believes her late husband assisted in maintenance work on the vehicles, including the brakes and clutches, which contained asbestos.
Natalia Rushworth, an expert asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said:
Expert Opinion
Unfortunately, Reg passed away before he could provide details on his exposure to asbestos. It takes decades after exposure to the dangerous dust and fibres for the illness to develop so it can be difficult to piece together the full picture.
“We would like to hear from anyone who worked with Reg at Watney’s regarding the working conditions they experienced, the presence of asbestos in the brewery and what measures, if any, were in place to protect workers from the hazardous substance.
“This information will be crucial in Connie’s battle for justice in Reg’s name and we would urge anyone with knowledge of asbestos exposure at the brewery to contact us.” Natalia Rushworth-White - Associate Solicitor
Connie said: “Reg was always very independent which made it absolutely heart-breaking to see him suffering and in pain for almost a year. As his condition, which we now know to be mesothelioma, progressed he was completely reliant on other people for everything. It was terrible seeing him like that and knowing there was very little I could do to ease his suffering.
“He didn’t deserve to suffer like this and in my opinion the fact his death was caused by his exposure to asbestos is a terrible injustice. Hopefully, his former workmates will come forward and provide the information our legal team at Irwin Mitchell need to ensure those responsible will be held to account.
“No amount of money will replace Reg in my life, but I hope we will secure justice in Reg’s name, which will help the family move on from this terrible time in our lives.”
Anyone who worked at Watney’s between 1955 and 1988, or has information about the presence of asbestos and working practices at the Whitechapel brewery, should contact Natalia Rusworth at Irwin Mitchell on 0207 421 3900 or email Natalia.Rushworthwhite@IrwinMitchell.com
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