Some asbestos victims 'may struggle for compensation'

Some asbestos victims may now find it difficult to claim compensation following a controversial decision by the Court of Appeal.

Last week, it was ruled that some employer's liability insurance policies will no longer protect employees from the date on which they were first exposed to the dangerous substance.

The judges found that, in some cases, a person's symptoms only arise years after exposure and when their employer's company may have ceased trading.

In such a case, there would not be any insurance in place to meet the claim and a severely ill person would receive no compensation.

"Dying people and grieving families have been given the added anxiety of not knowing whether they will be compensated - if ever," said Karl Tonks, a member of the executive committee of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Last month, Interserve (Defence) Ltd was fined GBP 33,000 after exposing Ministry of Defence workers to asbestos fibres.

Posted by Alison Spriggs

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