Loved Ones And Lawyers In Fight For Justice

The widow of a retired heating engineer from Hackney who died of asbestos-related disease, is using Action Mesothelioma Day in appealing to her husband’s former colleagues to help her gain justice regarding his death.

Roy Rydon died aged 80, just two months after he was first diagnosed with mesothelioma – a cancer of the lining the of the lung most commonly associated with exposure to asbestos materials.

Following his death, his wife Norma – who he was married to for 21 years – instructed asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell’s London office to investigate his case and help her gain answers as to how the illness emerged.

Now, as part of their ongoing investigations, the legal specialists are keen to hear from anyone who worked alongside Roy at G N Haden & Sons Ltd in Holborn from the 1950s to the early 1960s and could provide information on his potential contact with asbestos.

Alexia Kapranos, the specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is representing Norma, said:

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“This is sadly yet another terrible case which highlights the tragic impact that asbestos exposure can have, with Roy developing a particularly aggressive form of mesothelioma many years after his contact with the material is thought to have occurred.

“We are determined to help Roy’s family get answers about the condition which led to his death and as part of our work would appreciate more details regarding whether he was exposed to asbestos at this employer. If anyone would be able to help us it would be hugely appreciated.” Alexia Kapranos - Solicitor

Roy joined G N Haden & Sons Ltd as an apprentice in approximately 1952 and then became a fitter and welder who would often work in industrial boiler houses in the 1950s and 1960s.

He was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of mesothelioma in July 2015 and died in September 2015. An inquest confirmed the cause of his death was an industrial-caused ‘metastatic sarcomatoid mesothelioma’.

Norma, 70, said: “Before Roy died he did say that during his apprenticeship and early part of his working life he had worked directly with asbestos. He specifically recalled his work involving the removal of asbestos which lagged pipework in boiler plants and various other works he did. In later life he worried that he would get this dreadful disease due to this.

“When he was 15 Roy lived in Kings Crescent, Stoke Newington, which is now called Hackney. He then moved to Edmonton and when married moved to Wickford.

“Almost three years on it remains hard to believe that Roy is no longer with us and I still miss him so much every day. It was awful to see the impact that mesothelioma had on him, particularly the speed at which his condition deteriorated.

“We would be hugely grateful to anyone who can help us get the answers we believe we deserve regarding Roy’s death.

Action Mesothelioma Day is on July 6 and is a day to raise awareness of the disease and to remember those affected by it.

Anyone with information which could help this case is asked to contact Alexia Kapranos at Irwin Mitchell’s London office on 0207 421 3903 or email alexia.kapranos@irwinmitchell.com

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling asbestos-related disease cases.