Asbestos affected sufferers await ruling

Solicitors of people in Northern Ireland who are suffering from Asbestos-related ailments could soon find it easier to push for compensation thanks to a new bill being discussed.

The Damages (Asbestos-Related Conditions) Bill last week sailed through with a unanimous vote by MPs and is now awaiting a third stage where it will appear at the House of Lords before its contents can become law.

Nottingham.co.uk has highlighted the case of grandfather-of-three Gerald White, who was exposed to the lethal material in 1964 when he was working as a labourer at a power station.

Despite being exposed for less than a year, the 64-year-old now has to live with a lifelong illness but had difficulty getting compensation because of a 2007 House of Lords ruling.

This important case decision scrapped payment for workers, reversing a 20-year-old right that had ensured sufferers were taken care of, something that could be changed if the new bill succeeds, the newspaper reported.

A Health and Safety Executive study recently concluded that 1940s born carpenters were the most likely of tradesmen to develop mesothelioma, which is a cancer associated with the asbestos.

Lyn Harris, head of the litigation department at Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors, commented that "it would be great news for sufferers of pleural plaques should the bill be passed, bringing an end to the unjust reasoning that has dominated since the 2007 House of Lords ruling in the now infamous Rothwell case".

She addded: "A similar bill has already been passed in Scotland and it is right that the same laws should apply throughout the UK to help the many families who suffer daily with asbestos related illnesses."

Ms Harris is accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers as a senior litigator and Wilson Nesbitt is an accredited practice.
Contact us for legal advice
 

News Categories