Family Are Appealing To Father’s Ex-Colleagues For Help To Uncover Where He Was Exposed To The Fatal Substance

The family of a former labourer, who worked across the North East, are appealing to his former colleagues for help in discovering where their father was exposed to asbestos after an inquest into his death found that industrial disease had contributed towards his death.

Newcastle-born Thomas Baldwin, who was also known as Tommy, died last year on 12th April, aged 87. Although not diagnosed with cancer during his life, a post-mortem examination into Tommy’s death discovered he was suffering from asbestos-related lung cancer.

In August, at an inquest into his death, the Coroner recorded a narrative verdict in which she said that Tommy, a father-of-three, had died due a combination of natural causes and industrial disease.

Since his death Tommy’s daughter, Denise Thompson, has instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers to investigate where her father was exposed to the deadly dust and fibres that contributed to his death.

Denise, 58, from Newcastle, said: “Dad’s death was devastating for the entire family. Seeing his health deteriorate near the end of his life was heart-breaking, and we didn’t know what was causing it.

“When the post mortem found that dad had been suffering from an asbestos-related lung cancer, the whole family was determined to discover where and how he had been exposed to asbestos.

“We urge anyone who remembers working with our dad, Tommy Baldwin, at the various companies he worked for throughout the 1950s to the end of the 1970s, to please contact our legal team at Irwin Mitchell.”

Tommy, who was married to Peggy for 30 years prior to her death, worked as a steel fixer, scaffolder and labourer for numerous firms across the North East. Denise’s legal team are keen to speak to anyone who remembers Tommy from Swan Hunter in the 1950s.

They would also like to speak to those who remember working with Tommy at Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Limited in 1961 and 1962, at Taylor Woodrow between 1968 to 1971 and 1974 and 1975, at Gilbert Ash (Northern) Limited between 1971 and 1973, and finally at Shepherd Construction Limited from 1975 to 1979.

Due to the nature of the work carried out by these firms, the legal specialists at Irwin Mitchell believe that Tommy may have been exposed to asbestos in various manners during his work for these firms.

Evelyn Parker, Tommy’s 86-year-old sister, has recalled to the family’s legal team that Tommy told her on occasions that his work would require him to remove asbestos lagging from pipes in order to access them for repair and maintenance purposes.

Emma Tordoff, the asbestos-related disease specialist at Irwin Mitchell representing Denise, said: 

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“Unfortunately we often see cases like Tommy’s, where those suffering from an asbestos-related disease are unaware of it until it is too late.

“Due to the asbestos-related lung cancer being found after his death, we were unable to speak to Tommy while he was alive to establish where he may have come into contact with fatal asbestos dust and fibres.

“Therefore we are urging anyone who remembers working with him to come forward and contact us so we that can discuss the working environments that Tommy would have spent time in.

“We are determined to get justice for Denise and the family, and to do so we need the help of Tommy’s former colleagues.” Emma Bell - Senior Associate Solicitor

Anyone with information should contact Sonia Akram on 0191 279 0092 or email Sonia.Akram@IrwinMitchell.com.

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