Expert Lawyers Investigating Historic Asbestos Exposure At Cadbury Factory

The heartbroken widow of a former Cadbury research chemist who died from mesothelioma, an incurable cancer caused by exposure to asbestos decades ago, is appealing to his former colleagues to come forward and help her understand how her late husband was exposed to the deadly substance.

Richard Williams died at the age of 70 in November 2014 after a two-year battle with the terminal disease.

Now his widow, Dawn, 68, has instructed specialist asbestos lawyers at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office to investigate how and where Richard came into contact with the harmful dust and fibres that caused him to develop mesothelioma.

Dawn, backed by her legal team at Irwin Mitchell, is appealing to Richard’s former colleagues at Cadbury to come forward with information on the presence of asbestos at the firm’s Bournville premises.

Richard, a father-of-two, worked for the company between 1966 and 1973 as a research chemist and was responsible for ensuring the chocolate manufactured by the company was easy to work with.

Before his death, he told his legal team at Irwin Mitchell that there was a significant amount of asbestos-lagged pipework at the factory. He said this lagging was in a poor state of repair and would often release small fibres and dust into the working atmosphere.

He also recalled a significant amount of construction work going on in the packaging area, where he worked, and that workmen would often disturb lagging when carrying out construction and maintenance.

Richard said he was never warned of the dangers asbestos exposure posed to his health and that he was never provided with protective equipment.

Rajni Kandola, an expert asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, representing Dawn, said: “Mesothelioma is a very aggressive, and sadly, incurable cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, most often in the working environment. It can cause a significant amount of pain for victims like Richard, as well as family and friends who see their loved ones in distress.

“Our focus now is providing Dawn with the answers she deserves about how Richard was exposed to asbestos at work and if more could, and should, have been done to protect him.

“We hope anyone who remembers Richard from his time working for Cadbury will come forward and provide the crucial evidence we need about how and where he was exposed to asbestos to help us get his family the answers they need.”

Dawn, from Birmingham, said: “Richard went through more than two years of pain and suffering as a result of the mesothelioma he developed. To find out his exposure may have taken place at work just added insult to injury for all of us.

“Hopefully, those who worked with him at the Cadbury factory will remember him and come forward with any information, no matter how small, they may have about the presence of asbestos at the factory and the safety measures in place to protect people like Richard.”

Anyone with information on the presence of asbestos at the Cadbury factory should contact Rajni Kandola at Irwin Mitchell on 0121 214 6584 or email Rajni.Kandola@IrwinMitchell.com

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos, our expert mesothelioma lawyers could help you claim compensation. See our Asbestos-Related Disease Claims Guide for more information.