The widow of a former worker has issued an emotional appeal for help following his death from mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos.
The appeal is to workers at L Williams & Co Limited (later James Miller/Miller Homes), based at Frome. The company was a building firm involved in new builds around the Somerset and Wiltshire areas.
The widow’s husband started working for L Williams & Co Limited in 1961 and during the 1970s it is believed the company was taken over by James Miller/Miller Homes. He stayed with the company until he left in around 1985 and spent much of his time working at Berkley Down in Frome.
During his employment, he worked with asbestos sheets, cutting to size to be used as soffits for the new buildings and he also worked with “Big 6” corrugated asbestos sheets on the new garage roofs. He also worked on the interior of the new builds fitting doors, skirting boards, partitions and also tiling bathrooms and kitchens. He would also work alongside colleagues mixing Artex which most likely contained asbestos.
Sadly, the widow’s husband died in October 2020, aged just 75 years, having been told he was suffering from mesothelioma in January 2020. Although he commenced palliative chemotherapy, he was unable to continue due to severe side effects resulting in hospitalisation. His illness progressed quickly and it was devastating for himself and his family.
The widow is appealing to anyone who worked at L Williams & Co or James Miller/Miller Homes and who may have knowledge of the asbestos used by the companies to contact her specialist asbestos disease solicitor Andrew Stinchcombe of Novum Law.
Andrew Stinchcombe said, “Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer which causes significant suffering for its victims and their families. It doesn’t usually develop until many years after exposure to asbestos and can typically take anything from 15 to 60 years. Unfortunately, thousands of people die each year as a result of just going about their everyday lives, working to make a living and being exposed to asbestos dust.
“Understandably, our client and her family were extremely upset to learn that his illness and premature death were caused by exposure to asbestos, and we are really hoping that this appeal for information will help us find some answers for them.
“We are appealing specifically to anybody who worked at L Williams & Co of Frome or any successor of this company who may have knowledge of asbestos being included in their building processes.”
If you have any information that may assist, please call Novum Law free on 0800 884 0777, email Andrew Stinchcombe on: astinchcombe@novumlaw.com or visit www. novumlaw.com
