The Mesothelioma Bill has been approved at the final stages in the House of Commons and will proceed to Royal Assent.
 
The Mesothelioma Bill seeks to compensate mesothelioma victims who are unable to trace their employer who exposed them to asbestos dust, or their employer’s liability insurers. The Bill will establish a payment scheme for victims who were diagnosed with mesothelioma from 25th July 2012 and will offer all victims in the UK a flat rate payout set at 75% of the average compensation received by victims who have successfully pursued their employers. The scheme will be funded by a levy on insurance companies which provide employer’s liability and it will apply to the whole of the UK.
 
Campaigners including the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and several MPs are concerned that the Bill denies victims the right to receive the full compensation they deserve, and that the Bill goes nowhere near to ensuring justice for all asbestos victims. Those suffering from other asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and pleural thickening, who are also unable to trace their employer or their employer’s liability insurers, are excluded from the Bill and will not receive any compensation. Campaigners have tirelessly lobbied for an increase from 75% to 80%, if not 100%, and for the eligibility start date to be moved to February 2010, but the Bill cleared the House of Commons unchanged.
 
A date for Royal Assent is yet to be announced but it is anticipated that the Scheme will be implemented by July 2014.
 
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos related disease and you would like to speak to someone, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0151 236 8840 or enquiries@chigginslaw.co.uk.