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You are in: Home Page | News Desk | News Story

29th September 2006

Law firm raises concerns over asbestos admin and legal fees

Compensation for asbestos related diseases

Thompsons Solicitors has raised concerns over a £70m bill being paid to the administrators and their lawyers in connection with a compensation deal for asbestos victims across Great Britain.

The bill has been put in by administrators and lawyers acting on behalf of Federal Mogul, the US parent company of Turner and Newall.

Administrators, Kroll, were put in charge of negotiating a compensation scheme for employees who had been exposed to asbestos while working at plants and factories across the country.

Many workers went on to develop diseases like mesothelioma and many have died while waiting for their compensation.

After five years of negotiations a compensation deal was agreed earlier this month and claimants accepted an offer of 20p in the £1. It means victims will share a £69m fund. Some mesothelioma victims with claims worth £100,000 would only receive £20,000.

But it has been revealed that Kroll has charged around £40m for their fees and their legal and professional advisors are set to receive a further £30m.

It is understood the bill will be paid in full.

Federal Mogul went into administration in 2001, freezing all compensation payments. At the time Federal Mogul faced claims in Britain estimated at up to £340m.

Ian McFall of Thompsons Solicitors said: "I gave my time as an unpaid volunteer on the creditors committee to argue that victims should receive the best possible compensation deal from the administration of Federal Mogul."

"Originally asbestos claimants were offered just 7% of what their claim was worth, but through negotiations most people will be likely to receive payments of around 20%. For those families who have suffered, it will be hard to accept that they get only 20% while the administrators and their lawyers will be paid their bill of £70m in full."

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or someone you know has developed an asbestos related disease, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.