Mesothelioma Scheme Compensation Will Not Reach 100%

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has dismissed claims by a Labour peer that the current mesothelioma scheme could lead to claimants receiving 100% of their compensation in a couple of years’ time. Currently, sufferers will only receive 75% of the total amount that they are due, but the Labour peer that headed up the recent changes to the scheme has said that once the scheme reaches its peek in 2016, the amount of compensation that victims receive will naturally start to increase. The ABI refutes the claims.

Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that is contracted when a person comes into regular contact with certain types of asbestos. The lining of the organs are adversely affected, and because of the length of time it takes to identify the disease, as well as the devastating effects it has on the body, it leads to the death of the sufferer.

Mesothelioma claims have been prevalent for a number of decades. The negative effects of asbestos were first discovered as early as 1940s, but despite powerful evidence, companies continued to use the inexpensive and efficient building material for many decades. Asbestos can still be found in the walls and roofs of certain building today, and a long and complex removal process is required to dispose of it.

Because companies continued to use asbestos even after it had been found to cause cancer in workers, companies have been found guilty of taking unnecessary risks. The fatal nature of the disease means that claimants receive large sums of compensation, often totalling tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds. The disease is usually not recognised until several decades after a person has come into contact with asbestos, and a compensation scheme was established by the government for those instances where claimants could not identify or locate the company responsible.

Changes to the mesothelioma claim scheme mean that claimants currently only receive 75% of the total compensation they are awarded. Victim’s groups and legal firms have slammed the changes, but the Labour peer that headed them has defended the decision by saying that full 100% compensation will be available to claimants following a peak in 2016. The ABI has dismissed these suggestions and indicated that sufferers will not receive the full amount that they are due.

Asbestosis General PI News MesotheliomaFeb 18th, 20140 comments