Calling On Former Colleagues To Come Forward

The widow of a Bradford man is appealing to his former colleagues to come forward after instructing specialist lawyers to investigate her husband’s exposure to asbestos.

James Irwin, from the Eccleshill district of Bradford, died on 10 May 2018 at the age of 87.  Despite never being diagnosed with mesothelioma in his lifetime, a post mortem examination found that James had been suffering from the terminal cancer.

Mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the lining of the lungs and is linked to asbestos.  The symptoms of the disease can take decades to show, depending on the amount of exposure suffered.

Following James’ death, his widow Diane instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office to investigate her husband’s exposure to asbestos, and whether more could have been done to protect him.

His legal team believe that James was exposed to the asbestos while working at Tarmac Construction, now Carillion Construction, at Armley, Leeds.  James was employed as a general labourer at the firm from the mid-1970s.  He previously knew the company as James Cartwright and Unit Construction.

Whilst employed by the firm, James worked across Yorkshire and sites at Todmorden, in Calderdale, Belle Isle, Armley, Morley, in Leeds, Ravenscliffe and Keighley, in Bradford, Brough, in East Riding and Sheffield.

Expert Opinion

“Unfortunately, we often see cases like James’ where victims were unaware they had been exposed to asbestos while they were alive.

James is yet another tragic example of the devastating impact that asbestos exposure and mesothelioma can have on those that suffer it.

We are determined to help his family gain answers about how he was exposed to asbestos and whether more could have been done to protect him, so any information regarding working conditions at Tarmac Construction could prove vital in our efforts.”
Lucy Andrews - Associate Solicitor

An inquest into James’ death, held at Bradford Coroner’s Court on 6 September, found that he had died of industrial disease.

Diane, his widow, said: “James’ death was devastating and traumatic for all the family and his close friends.  He was a much loved husband and father and he is missed by us all so much every day.

“While nothing can change what has happened, we are desperate to understand how he developed this illness and also wonder whether more could have been done to protect him.

“We would be forever grateful to anyone who can come forward and help us.”

Anyone with information regarding Tarmac Construction should contact Lucy Andrews direct on 0113 394 6782 or email Lucy.Andrews@irwinmitchell.com.

As the UK prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the ban on white asbestos in November, HSE figures reveal that deaths from a substance dubbed the ‘silent killer’ remain at crisis levels.

Irwin Mitchell has been handling asbestos-related disease cases for over 35 years and is a leading firm in this specialist area, having worked on some of the biggest landmark cases that have led directly to changes in the law.

Find out more on Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling asbestos-related disease cases