November 17th, 2004

It has been revealed that a High Court in Manchester, England is to hear a test case on early next week, which will then lead to a decision with regards to compensation for UK workers that have been non-fatally affected by exposure to asbestos. The court’s aim is to determine the compensation levels that should be considered for pleural plaques, which is a scarring of the lung tissue following asbestos exposure but is not a terminal disease.

Traditionally, high levels of compensation have been paid out to UK workers, as well as workers in other countries, if they have been affected by asbestos exposure. Vast sums have been paid out to those suffering from a deadly cancer known as mesothelioma, which can affect various parts of the body, including the heart, abdomen, and lungs. This cancer can reduce a patient’s lifespan to just a matter of months following the onset of symptoms, but it can take several decades from the exposure to asbestos before the symptoms actually manifest.

The case has been brought by a former public company, British Ship Builders, along with Aviva P.L.C. unit Norwich Union and Zurich Financial Services Group. The liabilities of all of these groups are managed by the UK’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). A spokesman from Zurich, one of the companies that have initiated the case, stated that research showed that these plagues did not pose any terminal health risks.