Son of Asbestos Victim calls for Information from Former Colleagues after death of Father
29/04/2010
Asbestos Related Lung Cancer
A Hartlepool man is calling for help with his quest for justice after his father died from asbestos related lung cancer after working for the company ‘Buxted Chickens’. Jonathan Horsley needs help from former colleagues at the company who may be able to help an investigation into asbestos exposure at the company.
Jonathan’s father, George Horsley, was 60 when he passed away on the 31st July 2007 after two years of suffering from pleural mesothelioma, a fatal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
Jonathan contacted a specialist asbestos lawyer Ben Mitchell from law firm Irwin Mitchell and asked him to pursue a civil claim against the Buxted Chickens company, where his father worked as a chicken catcher during the 1960s and 70s.
It is believed that George, who was a fisherman by trade, worked as a chicken catcher at the factory where he came into contact with deadly asbestos fibres. It is thought that he inhaled the fibres when he was chasing and collecting chickens in the warehouse and large sheds that are believed to have been constructed with large asbestos panels on the sides of the shed.
George was never warned about the dangers of asbestos fibres and was never given any protection, such as a facemask, during his employment with Buxted Chickens.
Jonathan Horsley says: "I remember my father as being a strong and healthy man who I had many years left to enjoy with him on his fishing boat and walks in the country together, who sadly died before his grandson was born."
Ben Mitchell, specialist asbestos lawyer at the Leeds office of law firm Irwin Mitchell, is representing Mr. Horsley and is urging anyone who may have any relevant information about the working conditions at Buxted Chickens to contact him to help with the investigation.
Ben Mitchell said: "Mesothelioma is a devastating form of incurable cancer that is extremely quick and aggressive from the time the symptoms first come on, to the date of death.
"Unfortunately the fatal disease can take decades to develop after first being exposed to asbestos dust. This can cause significant problems because twenty to thirty years later, the company in question may no longer be trading, the premises may have closed down, or the work force may have moved on. Therefore trying to find details of the working conditions can be extremely difficult.
"We urge anyone who may have information about the company or working conditions at Buxted Chickens in the 60s and 70s to come forward to help with our investigations."
Anyone who can help should call Ben Mitchell at Irwin Mitchell on 0113 394 6751 or email Ben.Mitchell@irwinmitchell.com.
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