Family of printer appeals to ex-colleagues after his death

Family of printer appeals to ex-colleagues after his death from asbestos-related disease

Julia White, partner of Garry Taylor, has issued an emotional appeal for help from his former work colleagues following his death from mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs or stomach linked to exposure to asbestos.

Sadly, Garry passed away on the 6^th December 2017 aged just 55 years old. All his life, he had worked as a printer, starting his apprenticeship immediately after leaving school, learning his trade as a machine printer at Kenrick & Jefferson on 295 High Street in West Bromwich.

During his apprenticeship from 1979 to 1983, Garry worked on machinery throughout the factory building which was very old and dusty.  He carried out maintenance on a number of presses at Kenrick & Jefferson including Heidelberg, Muller Martini and Timson.  Garry believed the pipework around the factory may have been lagged with asbestos and some of the printing presses and/or machinery may have contained asbestos components.

Today, parts of the building have been redeveloped but Astle House remains on the site of the Kenrick & Jefferson printing works.

Julia says: “Until Garry started to suffer from the symptoms of mesothelioma, such as shortness of breath and coughing, he had been very fit and well and was still working full-time as a printer in Somerset, where he moved to in 1986. We had been enjoying life and making plans for the future and it feels as though we were robbed of that future life we dreamt about”.

Julia has instructed specialist asbestos disease solicitor Andrew Stinchcombe of Novum Law to assist with their search for justice.

Andrew said: “Mesothelioma is an incurable disease which causes significant suffering for its victims and their families. It doesn’t usually develop until many years after exposure to asbestos and can 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, Julia was extremely upset to learn that Garry’s illness and premature death were caused by exposure to asbestos, which was known to be dangerous during the time of his exposure and we are really hoping that this appeal for information will help us find some answers for her.

“We are appealing specifically to anybody who remembers Garry or who may have worked at Kenrick & Jefferson around the same time that can provide information about the presence of asbestos in the factory.  There could have been asbestos in the machinery, on the pipework and/or in the building itself.”

If you have any information that may assist Julia, please call Novum Law free on 0800 884 0555, email astinchcombe@novumlaw.com or visit www.novumlaw.com