Ministry lays out pleural plaques mesothelioma plan
The Ministry of Justice said yesterday that U.K. residents who filed personal injury claims prior to the House of Lords' ruling that pleural plaques are not a compensable injury, will receive fixed payments of £5,000.
In a statement, the Ministry of Justice said it has not reached a conclusion whether the House of Lords ruling should be overturned.
“The medical evidence is clear that while pleural plaques are a marker of exposure to asbestos, they are generally symptomless, are not harmful and do not become harmful,” it said in the statement.
The ministry did, however, acknowledge that individuals who had already begun compensation claims for pleural plaques at the time of the House of Lords' decision were unhappy.
It also said that it understood that and these individuals expected their accident claims to be successful.
Therefore, the government came to a conclusion to make extra-statutory payments of £5,000 to individuals in this limited category.
The ministry said establishing an Employers’ Liability Insurance Bureau could be a last resort for sufferers of asbestos-related diseases.
“Insurers remain determined to ensure that all those entitled to compensation receive it,” Nick Starling, the ABI's director of general insurance and health, said in a statement.
Updated on 26/02/2010