Expert Asbestos-Related Disease Lawyers Issue Court Proceedings As Widow Battles For Answers

The devastated widow of a Newcastle tiler has taken an important step towards getting the answers she needs following her husband’s death from mesothelioma after lawyers at Irwin Mitchell issued court proceedings against his former employer Commercial, Mobile & Tiles Limited.

Walter Calvert, 74, died in September 2015 after a short battle with peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare form of the terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

His widow, Jean, 71, instructed expert asbestos-related disease experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how and where Walter was exposed to the asbestos dust and fibres and now the industrial disease expert have issued formal court proceedings against his former employers.

Jean, from Benwell, Newcastle is desperate for answers about Walter’s exposure to the substance and believes Walter was exposed to it while working as a tiler for Commercial Marble & Tiles, where he was responsible for laying floor tiles on a number of ships at shipyards over a 20-year period.

She explained to her legal team at Irwin Mitchell that Walter worked as a contractor at a number of shipyards, including the Naval Yard, Swans Dry Dock, Swan Hunters, in Wallsend, Thomsons in Sunderland, Cammell Laird in Birkenhead, Harland & Wolffs in Belfast and Vickers Armstrong in Barrow-in-Furness.

Before his death, Walter, a father-of-three, told Jean that he spent time working on the ships alongside other tradesmen, including joiners and laggers, who would regularly cut asbestos sheeting or use asbestos dust to manufacture lagging for the ships’ pipework.

He said this often released asbestos dust into the atmosphere and Jean recalls his work clothes being covered is dust when he came home from the shipyards and that Walter was not provided with a mask when he worked on board the ships.

Jean, with the backing of her legal team at Irwin Mitchell, is appealing for anyone who worked with Walter at Commercial Marble & Tiles and spent time contracting at various shipyards to come forward with the information she needs about what caused her husband to develop peritoneal mesothelioma.

Emma Crowther, a Solicitor and expert industrial disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: 

Expert Opinion

“Peritoneal mesothelioma is an extremely rare and very aggressive form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure and it can cause a great deal of pain and suffering for victims like Walter, who sadly paid the ultimate price for simply going to work and providing for his family.

"Walter's widow Jean has faced a difficult year since his tragic death and she is determined to get answers about his death. We are assisting her by investigating conditions at his former employer and we have now issued legal proceedings in the hope Jean will get the answers she wants.

“All too often we see cases like Walter’s where workers spent time working in dusty environments around asbestos and were not provided with protective equipment. It can take decades for symptoms to develop and often it is then too late for victims to recall how and where they were exposed." Emma Crowther - Senior Associate Solicitor

Jean, a mother-of-three, said: “Walter was always such a fit and healthy man, which made it even more difficult to see him in so much pain in the final months of his life and to watch his health deteriorate so quickly.

“It is absolutely heart-breaking to know that this disease was caused by asbestos and we are determined to find out how and where he was exposed to it and why more wasn’t done to protect him and the others who worked on these ships.

“We did everything we could as a family to make him as comfortable as possible but I could tell he was in a lot of pain towards the end. I hope his former workmates will now come forward and help us get the answers we deserve and ensure those who failed to protect him are held to account.”

Anyone who worked with Walter at Commercial Marble & Tiles or has information on the working conditions on-board ships in shipyards should contact Emma Crowther on 0191 279 0094 or email Emma.Crowther@IrwinMitchell.com.

Our expert asbestos claims team will provide you with free initial advice on your compensation claim if you or a loved one has suffered due to contracting mesothelioma. See our Mesothelioma Claims page for more information.