Insurers in 'shameless' appeal in asbestos case
Insurers in 'shameless' appeal in asbestos case
Aviva and Zurich Insurance are to appeal against a legal decision which found insurance firms are liable to pay compensation for pleural plaques caused by exposure to asbestos. The High Court ruled last month that people with pleural plaques - shadows on the lung lining due to asbestos scarring - should receive compensation (Risks 195). Damages of between £5,000 and £15,000 have been awarded to tens of thousands of people with pleural plaques since three High Court rulings in the 1980s made the condition 'compensatable'. Last month’s court case concluded that anxiety over developing asbestos-related diseases was a valid basis on which compensation could be paid. But it did reduce the level of compensation that could be awarded in future payouts. Aviva - which trades as Norwich Union in the UK - said it was appealing because the previous ruling 'has not brought clarity to the issue'. The February ruling was also made against the UK government, which remains liable for asbestos claims involving the former state-run shipbuilding industry. The government said it would not be joining the insurance companies in the appeal. Asbestos victims’ groups have branded the appeal 'a disgrace.' Colin Ettinger, the president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, called the legal challenge 'nothing but a shameless and greedy attempt by insurers to save yet more money at the expense of injured people.'
- BBC News Online. The Lawyer.com.
- For more on asbestos, see the British Asbestos Newsletter.
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