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Trade Unions to be given £70m to help asbestos victims
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The Government has decided to present trade unions with a £70m support package designed to help victims of asbestos. And yet the unions are somewhat divided because the compensation fund for victims of asbestos does have exclusions.
The compensation is for dying victims who are unable to rely on their employers’ insurance and for sufferers of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. However whilst the fund and a proposed research centre for asbestos-linked diseases have been welcomed, the fact that victims suffering from the asbestos-linked condition pleural plaques are still ineligible for compensation in England and Wales - though Scottish sufferers of pleural plaques can claim compensation for the asbestos-linked disease – has caused concern.
The most significant victory for victims of asbestos disease and those dying from mesothelioma is the establishment of an Employers Liability Insurance Bureau which will give asbestos victims access to a 'fund of last resort' if they can’t trace their employers’ insurers. The compensation claims for asbestos-linked disease and mesothelioma will be paid by the insurance industry.
But the fact that people living in England and Wales and suffering from pleural plaques cannot claim compensation for this asbestos-linked disease is thought to be cost-driven. The Government could face compensation claims totaling £600m because of the huge number of public sector and Armed Forces workers who were exposed to asbestos.
Andrew Dismore MP said "If you've got pleural plaques, there’s nothing in this package for you. What's on offer is not chicken feed, but it will mean there are lots of people who will not get the compensation they deserve. "
However, the trade unions are still expected to welcome the fund which will allow at least some victims of asbestos to claim compensation for their asbestos disease.
If you want to claim compensation for an asbestos disease or mesothelioma then Simpson Millar LLP Solicitors are experts in claiming compensation for people who have been exposed to asbestos.
Our asbestos compensation claim team will provide all the advice and guidance you need to claim compensation at this challenging time in your life. Please call us on:
Freephone: 0800 634 1626 or simply drop us an email
using our online enquiry form.
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Emma Costin
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29/01/2010
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