New Bill Ensures Compensation for More Mesothelioma Victims
The British House of Lords has given its stamp of approval to a bill that aims to make life easier for people suffering with the intractable cancer, mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is closely linked to exposure to asbestos, usually in an occupational setting. The U.K. has the highest per capita rate of this aggressive and hard-to-treat cancer, largely because so many of its post-World War II homes and buildings were constructed using asbestos building materials.
In many cases, mesothelioma victims were negligently exposed to asbestos because their employer failed to warn them of its dangers or failed to properly train or protect them. In such cases, mesothelioma patients can bring a claim against the employer. Unfortunately, because mesothelioma can take decades to develop, some of these employers and/or their insurance companies can no longer be traced leaving patients and their families to face enormous medical bills and financial hardship without compensation.
But the mesothelioma bill that passed the House of Lords this week aims to give these victims an alternative. Liability insurers are required to pay into the fund, about 75% of civil compensation. With that money, the government can provide an estimated 100,000 each to about 300 mesothelioma victims every year.
€The issue of poor record-keeping in the industry has for too long prevented mesothelioma sufferers from receiving the compensatory payments due to them,€ Work and Pensions Minister, Lord Freud said in a statement prior to the bill's third reading. €The bill represents substantial progress in rectifying this injustice.€ The new compensation fund will be administrated by an oversight committee appointed by Parliament. It must now be approved by the House of Commons.
At the same time as compensation is being established for uninsured mesothelioma victims, the British government is strengthening the requirements for companies to be able to trace historical insurance policies. The Financial Conduct Authority says it will require firms €to have effective processes for conducting tracing searches for historical policies upon receipt of a request from a consumer or a consumer's representative€. About 2,500 people in the U.K. die of mesothelioma each year.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article. This article was written by a third party and its content reflects the views of the third party and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions or of Surviving Mesothelioma or Cancer Monthly.
In many cases, mesothelioma victims were negligently exposed to asbestos because their employer failed to warn them of its dangers or failed to properly train or protect them. In such cases, mesothelioma patients can bring a claim against the employer. Unfortunately, because mesothelioma can take decades to develop, some of these employers and/or their insurance companies can no longer be traced leaving patients and their families to face enormous medical bills and financial hardship without compensation.
But the mesothelioma bill that passed the House of Lords this week aims to give these victims an alternative. Liability insurers are required to pay into the fund, about 75% of civil compensation. With that money, the government can provide an estimated 100,000 each to about 300 mesothelioma victims every year.
€The issue of poor record-keeping in the industry has for too long prevented mesothelioma sufferers from receiving the compensatory payments due to them,€ Work and Pensions Minister, Lord Freud said in a statement prior to the bill's third reading. €The bill represents substantial progress in rectifying this injustice.€ The new compensation fund will be administrated by an oversight committee appointed by Parliament. It must now be approved by the House of Commons.
At the same time as compensation is being established for uninsured mesothelioma victims, the British government is strengthening the requirements for companies to be able to trace historical insurance policies. The Financial Conduct Authority says it will require firms €to have effective processes for conducting tracing searches for historical policies upon receipt of a request from a consumer or a consumer's representative€. About 2,500 people in the U.K. die of mesothelioma each year.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article. This article was written by a third party and its content reflects the views of the third party and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions or of Surviving Mesothelioma or Cancer Monthly.
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