BBC Sued By Widow Over Husband’s Asbestos Death

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The wife of a symphony orchestra musician who died from mesothelioma at the age of 73 is suing the BBC after it conceded that it was liable for his death.

Christopher Larkin was a horn player for the corporation’s symphony orchestra, and had played at the Maida Vale studios in London for over three decades. After already claiming responsibility, documents handed to Patricia Larkin’s legal representatives revealed that the studios he worked in were “riddled” with deadly asbestos dust.

The same legal team is also representing another family in a case regarding a second member of the orchestra who died at the age of 89 in January 2021. This development could potentially lead to a snowballing of cases of a similar nature should any future illnesses come to light in future.

BBC Sued By Widow Over Husband's Asbestos Death

The paperwork submitted by the BBC proved that it had been aware of asbestos on the premises of Maida Vale since at least 1984, though it hadn’t come to light until the court ordered disclosure when investigating this case. Liability didn’t come until some months after even this point.

The solicitor representing both of the above families, Harminder Bains, has stated to a Guardian reporter:

“It is unconscionable that despite having documents confirming the presence of asbestos in the building, the BBC filed a defence denying that Mr Larkin was exposed to asbestos during the course of his work.

“I have another client who was exposed in the same building and as a consequence worry about the number of BBC employees, musicians and celebrities who may also have been exposed.

“These are two identical cases, it just seems unfathomable that there won’t be other employees and celebrities who worked in these studios and who were exposed.”

Maida Vale isn’t the only BBC building to have been tainted by asbestos – BBC Television Centre in west London was also found to have contained it after a public outreach way back in 2006.

The inquest into the death of Christopher Larkin revealed that his passing was caused by “…the consequences of exposure to asbestos”, with the second victim, Edwin Dodd, having the inquest reveal that he died “due to mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos when he worked for the BBC from 1966 to 1997”.

BBC Sued By Widow Over Husband’s Asbestos Death

The wife of a symphony orchestra musician who died from mesothelioma at the age of 73 is suing the BBC after it conceded that it was liable for his death.

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