The family of a Skelton woman who used to wash her husband’s asbestos-contaminated overalls is taking legal action over her death.
Mary Pointer died last year after a short battle with mesothelioma - a cancer of the lung’s linings usually caused by exposure to asbestos.
Before her death aged 86 in April 2014, Mary and her son Darryl instructed law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate her asbestos exposure, which she claimed occurred when she washed her husband Ronald’s work overalls.
Ronald, to whom she was married for 45 years, died in 1999, aged 85.
He worked for the CEGB at Marchwood Power Station by the River Test in Southampton from around 1955 to 1970 in the boiler room before becoming a turbine operator.
Mary had explained how his overalls were often covered in dust, which she would regularly inhale when shaking them out and washing them.
The CEGB - Central Electricity Generating Board - was responsible for electricity generation in England and Wales from 1957 until privatisation in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Marchwood Power Station was allocated to Powergen, now E.ON, on privatisation of the CEGB in 1989/90.
The firm has now launched legal proceedings against energy firm E.ON on the family’s behalf.
Roger Maddocks, a partner in the asbestos-related disease team at Irwin Mitchell, said: “This is a tragic case in which a widow died of mesothelioma caused simply by inhaling asbestos dust as she cleaned her husband’s overalls and their bedding in the 1960s.
“Mary’s son Darryl is devastated by the loss of his mother, particularly as the disease was caused by her taking care of her family.
“Mesothelioma is an aggressive illness which causes a great deal of pain and distress for victims like Mary and we have now issued court proceedings and hope that we can finally find some answers for Darryl.”
Darryl Pointer, 50, of Leeming Bar, said: “I was absolutely distraught seeing my mum deteriorate so quickly and seeing her go through so much pain at the end of her life.
"She was a devoted wife and mother, but she was not warned of the dangers of asbestos and shouldn’t have been in a position to be exposed to the deadly dust.
“No amount of money will make up for the loss of my mum, but we hope that by issuing court proceedings we will be able to secure justice for her and honour her memory after losing her in such a terrible way.”
An E.ON spokesman said: “We can confirm that legal proceedings were received today.
"It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to discuss further details at this time.”
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