| Description | Date of birth:
Marital status: Widowed
Address: Ireton Houses, Openwoodgate, Belper
Type of benefit claimed:
Type of injury:
Further information: This Industrial Death Benefit claim relates to William Bestwick. Mr Bestwick was involved in an accident in December 1957 when he sustained multiple injuries after being partly buried by a roof fall; four men were buried in this and one (Waterfall) was fatally injured. The Ripley NUM Secretary wrote: 'It has left Bill in a bad way, (nerves) and he is doing light work on the pit top'. The Medical Board disabiility assessment in May 1959 was: 'Injury to back (10 %), face (NIL) and leg (NIL). Traumatic neurosis (20%)' and as the Effect of [these] conditions: 'Post traumatic Neurosis. Cannot work underground'. Special Hardship Allowance at 34/- per week was awarded in June 1959 up to June 1960. Bestwick died 9 July 1959 aged 55 and the cause of death was Acute fibrous Pericarditis due to coronary insufficiency and underlying atheroma. The Ripley NUM Branch Secretary, Nicklin, wrote to Mr Parkin, Compensation Agent : 'death certificate, enclosed, let me have it back for use at pit and Fatal Acc. Soc. (Derby). [...]I have [...] seen the widow [...] She has a boy 11 years old' and again in September 1959 'I am pleased to be able to tell you that Bill's widow has been accepted by the Midland Fatal Acc Soc.' A letter from Gurling, Consultant Physician said: 'Although there is no doubt that his health was impaired by the colliery accident [...] there was no evidence that his present disease could have been caused by any form of trauma'. Mrs Bestwick wrote: 'My husband was a fit man prior to the accident [...] After [...] he never recovered his health and was a shadow of his former self'. After the tribunal, a GP letter outlined the physical and psychiatric treatment Bestwick had received. Mrs. Bestwick asked the NUM for help to appeal to the Commissioner and there is a letter from the Belper Constituency Labour Party with a photo of the George Brown MP about the case. In January 1960 Brown signed a letter to Herbert Parkin, NUM Area Compensation Agent, saying he had advised Mrs Bestwick to claim that the shock of the accident was a contributory cause of death from thrombosis and passing the case back to the NUM, who felt this avenue had already been explored. |