March 3rd, 2005

A High Court judge in Newcastle, England, ruled earlier this week that sufferers of pleural plaques sustained at the Clyde Shipyard could lodge claims of between four and twelve thousand pounds. This was god news for former workers of the shipyard, who have been fighting for compensation for the health problems caused by exposure to asbestos during their time at the shipyard.

However, it has since been revealed that this decision could be overturned before any compensation is paid out by taking the matter to the Appeals Court. Government officials confirmed that there is a chance that the decision made with regards to compensation payouts for sufferers of pleural plaques could be successfully appealed against.

Insurance companies have also been doing their calculations, and bosses revealed that claims made for pleural plaques over the next few decades could result in payouts of nearly one and a half billion pounds. Insurance giant, Norwich Union, and the government’s Department of Trade and Industry have confirmed the possibility of appeals to fight these compensation payouts.

Hints have been made that the insurance company will team up with the DTI to appeal against the decision. “The High Court ruling has not completely clarified the situation,” said one official. “It may take a higher court to settle the matter once and for all and for the benefit of all sides.”