Expert Lawyers Investigating Asbestos Exposure That Led To Mesothelioma

The widow of a former heating and boiler engineer from Rochdale is appealing to those who worked alongside her husband for information after he died from mesothelioma, a cancer affecting the lining of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos decades ago.

Mark Farrey died in August 2015, aged 56, at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Oldham. The terminal cancer is caused by exposure to harmful asbestos dust and fibres, but it takes decades for the symptoms to develop.

Now his widow Angela and her specialist asbestos lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are appealing for those who worked alongside Mark, between 1977 and 1982, at C M Dunphy in Rochdale, now called Christopher Dunphy Ecclesiastical Ltd, to come forward.

Mark began working for the company as an apprentice heating engineer, before becoming fully qualified. Angela, who lives in Chadderton, Oldham, believes Mark was exposed to asbestos when servicing and repairing boilers for C M Dunphy.

While Mark was working for the company they began to specialise in church boilers, including installing the heating in Salford Cathedral in 1979. As a result of this expansion, Mark worked at sites across the North West, working on commercial and domestic boilers for the church.

Angela, 54, who was married to Mark for 27 years, has told her legal team that Mark once told her of a job where he had to remove an old boiler in an outhouse, attached to a church. The boiler was completely covered in asbestos and in order to remove it, he had to break the asbestos up using a hammer and pull it off by hand.

Katrina London, an Associate and expert industrial illness lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Angela, said: 

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“Angela and the family were left devastated by Mark’s death and they are desperate for answers about how and where he came into contact with the fatal asbestos that caused him to develop mesothelioma.

“We want to hear from anyone who recalls working with Mark at C M Dunphy in the hope that the information they can provide on Mark’s working conditions so that we can help Angela.” Katrina London - Senior Associate Solicitor

Angela, who had three children with Mark that are now all in their 20’s, said: “Mark was a very independent and active man, which made it extremely difficult for him to rely on other people when the disease started to cause his health to suffer.

“I urge any of his former colleagues to contact my legal team at Irwin Mitchell if they have any information on the working conditions he endured. Unfortunately we were not able to get answers for Mark while he was alive but I am determined to get justice for him now.”

Anyone who worked with Mark and can provide any information is asked to contact Ciaran Wells at Irwin Mitchell on 0161 838 3162 or email Ciaran.Wells@IrwinMitchell.com.

If you or a loved one has been effected by an asbestos related illness, our asbestos solicitors can help you to claim compensation. Read our Asbestos-Related Disease Claims Guide for more information.