Loved Ones And Lawyers Call On Former Colleagues To Come Forward

The loved ones of a former council worker who died of asbestos-related cancer in June this year have joined with legal experts to call on her former colleagues to come forward and help them gain answers regarding her illness.

Margaret Harvey, from Kendal in Cumbria, died aged 84 in June 2017, less than two months after she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung commonly associated with asbestos exposure.

Following her death, her family instructed asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help them gain answers regarding how she came to develop the cancer. Now, as part of their on-going investigations, the legal experts would be keen to hear from anyone who worked with Margaret when she was an officer in the highways department at Cumbria County Council from 1960 until her retirement in 1992.

While Margaret had no recollection of exposure to asbestos prior to her death, her family’s own research raised the possibility that she may have come into contact with the deadly material during her role there.

Emma Tordoff, the specialist asbestos lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Newcastle office who is representing Margaret’s family, said: 

Expert Opinion

“This is a truly devastating case and Margaret’s rapid decline in health following her diagnosis of mesothelioma demonstrates the terrible impact that the illness can have on victims.

“Since our instruction, we have been hard at work with our investigations into Margaret’s life in an effort to determine when asbestos exposure may have taken place.

“Now, we would be keen to hear from anyone who may have worked alongside her at Cumbria County Council and could shed light on the presence of asbestos in any of the buildings where she may have operated. Any information could prove vital in getting her family the answers they deserve.” Emma Bell - Senior Associate Solicitor

Margaret’s family understand that during her time with the council she worked in a building which is now called Gardiner Bank in Kendal. They believe it was originally a school, then taken over by the council and subsequently turned into housing in the mid-1990s.

Lynn Jordan, Margaret’s daughter, said: “The whole family was devastated to lose Margaret earlier this year and we are still trying to come to terms with our loss. 

“It was incredibly difficult to see how quickly the illness affected her and we all now simply want to honour her memory by getting answers regarding how she came to develop this illness.

“We would be hugely grateful if anyone with information related to working with Margaret, the working conditions at Cumbria County Council during the years she was there or about Gardiner Bank in general could come forward.”

Anyone with information on this case should contact Michael McGowan at Irwin Mitchell on 0191 279 0095 or email Michael.McGowan@irwinmitchell.com.