Call back for new
personal injury claims only
Leave your details to request a call back.
Unite members in North West recover £1.5m asbestos compensation
Asbestos Compensation Claims
Since January 2010 Unite members and their families in the North West have received £1.5m asbestos compensation with help from specialist lawyers Thompsons Solicitors.
The asbestos compensation experts successfully claimed damages for 14 members and their families including ten cases of the fatal asbestos related lung cancer mesothelioma.
In one mesothelioma case, in addition to obtaining full compensation for the family, Thompsons also recovered compensation for the hospice which provided care and support to the victim and family during the final stages of the illness. The case is one of the first of it's kind in the North West.
Compensation for Mesothelioma Victim
Thompsons also concluded a mesothelioma compensation claim for £135,000 within three months for a member who was exposed to asbestos when working for an industrial brake linings manufacturer.
As a result of a campaign backed by Unite the Government set up a compensation scheme in 2010 for people who had brought but not resolved a claim for pleural plaques before a House of Lords ruling which ended damages in 2007. Thompsons has recovered around £2 million for pleural plaques clients under the scheme including 43 Unite members in the North West who received up to £5,000 each.
Unlike many other law firms in the region Thompsons dealt with pleural plaques claims under the scheme free of charge so that their clients received 100% compensation.
Trigger Issue Test Case
Unite is set to fight to overturn a Court of Appeal decision, known as the trigger test case, which ruled in some cases that employer’s liability insurance is triggered not by the exposure to asbestos in the workplace, but by the development of the fatal cancer, mesothelioma, often many decades later when no insurance exists.
Thompsons are instructed by Unite to argue the legal case before the Supreme Court in December 2011.
Diana Fos, Head of Thompsons’ North West Specialist Asbestos Team said: “The last 18 months have been a very trying time for families who have been affected by asbestos disease. With the support of Unite’s legal service it has been possible to conclude cases successfully for their members for the best possible levels of compensation in the shortest time frame and at no cost to them.
“We are particularly focussed at present on preparing for the Supreme Court appeal hearing in December in the ‘trigger issue test case’ when Unite will resist a challenge by insurers who are attempting to avoid paying compensation to mesothelioma sufferers and their families. The outcome of this case could be one of the most important decisions in the history of asbestos litigation.”
Asbestos Compensation Claim Advice
If you or someone you know has developed an asbestos related disease, telephone us now for accurate compensation 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 asbestos disease claim solicitors and 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.
Contact us about your accident or injury
Call us for free on 08000 224 224 Call us from your mobile on 0330 123 123 0 (charged at local number and free when covered by inclusive minutes) Request a call back Text CLAIM to 82010 (standard network rates apply)
