Specialist Lawyers Have Been Instructed To Help Get Justice

The daughter of a former shipyard worker from Lancashire has instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her father’s exposure to asbestos in Barrow following his sudden death in February this year.

A post-mortem examination found that John Michelbach, from Thornton-Cleveleys in Lancashire, had died from mesothelioma, aged 82. Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and is caused by exposure to asbestos often decades before symptoms begin to show.

Since his death, John’s daughter, Donna, has instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate where her father was exposed to the fatal asbestos dust and fibres.

From the 1950s until around 1962, John was employed by Vickers Armstrong (Shipbuilders) Limited at their Barrow Shipyard. He was employed as a boiler maker and plater.

During his working life after this, John worked for numerous companies and Donna’s legal team are keen to speak to any of his former colleagues from the following former employers of her father:

• Vickers Armstrong (Shipbuilders) Limited. John worked at their Barrow Shipyard from the 1950s until 1962
• N S M Construction Limited. John was employed by the firm between 1963 and 1964
• Merchant Navy. John was employed as a baker in the Merchant Navy between 1964 and 1966 and worked for firms including The Union Castle Mail Steamship Co Limited, Scottish Ore Carriers Limited and Shaw Savill & Albion Co Limited
• D N Barnes Limited (believed to have later become Enterprise Homes (Scotland) Limited then Bradley Homes (Scotland) Limited and then Pendle Homes). John was a general manager at the firm between 1966 and 1976.

Donna, 54, also from Thornton-Cleveleys, said: “I was devastated when we lost dad in February last year. It was so unexpected. He was still so active, practically running the family bakery on his own, working six days a week up until Christmas the year before, just two months before he died.

“Only finding out after his death that he was suffering from mesothelioma was frustrating, then finding out that it may have been caused by exposure to asbestos during his working life made me angry.

“His illness took hold so quickly and there was no time to get answers or justice for him while he was alive. I am determined to get justice for him now.”

An inquest at Blackpool Coroner’s Court in July this year concluded that John had died from an industrial disease.

Donna’s legal team are calling on anyone who remembers John to come forward and contact them with any information on the working environments John would have been exposed to, particularly information on the presence of asbestos.

Emma Tordoff, the expert industrial disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Donna, said: 

Expert Opinion

“Unfortunately, we often see cases like John’s where victims were unaware that they were battling asbestos related lung cancer until the very end of their lives.

“I urge John’s former colleagues who worked with him at any of his various employers to come forward with any details of the working conditions John endured during his employment.” Emma Bell - Senior Associate Solicitor

Anyone with information please contact Sonia Akram on 0191 279 0095 or email Sonia.Akram@irwinmitchell.com.    

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in mesothelioma claims.