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9th August 2007

Former workers of a North East company, who were exposed to asbestos at work, are being denied thousands of pounds in compensation

Asbestos-Related Diseases

The men, who worked for Cape Darlington Ltd, formerly known as Darlington Insulation Company Limited, have been awarded more than £200,000 in compensation after developing asbestos-related diseases caused through working for the firm.

But they may never see a penny of compensation after Cape Darlington went into liquidation.

The company, originally founded in Darlington in 1948, carried out asbestos contract work across the UK.

When an employer goes into liquidation the company's insurers normally pay compensation claims. But one of Cape Darlington's insurers, Chester Street Insurance, are also in liquidation. Usually in these circumstances the government's Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) will step in.

However, in this case the FSCS will not pay because of a dispute between the parent company, Cape Plc, and William Baird Industrial Limited who sold Darlington Insulation to Cape Plc in 1992.

In the past Cape Darlington's asbestos victims received compensation from William Baird as part of the sale agreement with Cape Plc.

But William Baird say the £8.25 million limit on the amount of compensation they agreed to pay has been reached. FSCS refuse to pay the claims until the dispute is resolved between Cape Plc and William Baird.

Cape Plc had an operating profit of £14.6m in 2006.

Personal injury claims lawyers Thompsons Solicitors, which has offices in Middlesbrough and Newcastle, represents four of the claimants.

However, thousands of people worked for Cape Darlington over the years and there are fears that more people will be affected in the future if this stalemate continues.

Head of Asbestos Policy

Head of asbestos policy at Thompsons Solicitors, Ian McFall, said: "These men are suffering from asbestos-related diseases caused by working for Cape Darlington. Some of them are dying. We have won compensation for them through the courts but they face no prospect of receiving it at present because of this deadlock.

"These companies and the FSCS should act now by paying the compensation without delay and sort out the bureaucratic red tape later."

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 compensation claim forms.