| Government to act on mesothelioma claims
The controversy over compensation for mesothelioma sufferers looks set to take yet another turn after Tony Blair promised to take action over a recent House of Lords ruling. The judgment means that a single employer will not have to pay full compensation if another employer could also be guilty of exposing the same employee to asbestos. Because the time between exposure to asbestos and the diagnosis of mesothelioma can span decades it is not always possible to prove which company is responsible. The House of Lords judgment was intended to safeguard employers from having to pay full compensation in cases where another employer could have been held responsible but is no longer operating. The ruling was met with dismay by the families of mesothelioma sufferers and by the unions and prompted the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to promise action on the new law.
Asbestos: Armley's Mesothelioma sufferers offered 17% of due ...
Asbestos victims who suffered from the deadly asbestos cancer mesothelioma though working in or proximity to a Leeds factory will receive just 17p in the pound of compensation awarded by the courts if they accept a "final" settlement from the factory's owners. The J W Roberts factory in Armley spewed out deadly asbestos dust for decades before closing in 1958 with the dust affected not only hundreds of workers, but also their families and people who lived around the site. Hundreds of victims contracted asbestos-linked lung cancer mesothelioma, creating what came to be known as the Armley asbestos tragedy after the Yorkshire Evening Post exposed the scandal in the late 1980s. Mesothelioma is incurable and victims usually die within three years of diagnosis. A ground-breaking court action against the factory's US owners, Turner Newall, by Leeds cancer victim June Hancock in the 1990s resulted in a compensation award which was seen as a precedent for hundreds of victims.
Minority Enterprise Backer Louis Winnick, 85
Louis Winnick, 85, an economist who helped guide the investments of the Ford Foundation and promoted low-income home ownership, died July 29 at a hospice in Manhasset, Long Island. He had mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer that his daughter Pamela Winnick attributed to exposure to asbestos when he worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II. .
Payout boost for mesothelioma patients
HUNDREDS of workers in Swindon who are suffering from mesothelioma have been given a helping hand in speeding up compensation payouts. The Government has announced that a standard claim letter and leaflet were being developed in a bid to make settlements more quickly. Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton said his department would also work with HM Revenue and Customs to trace employers' records and the Association of British Insurers will also open a phone inquiry helpline in the autumn. .
Banton to fight Hardie charity decision
Asbestos victims leader Bernie Banton has refused to stop fighting the Australian Tax Office's (ATO) decision not to give charity status to the James Hardie compensation fund. Mr Banton said the decision meant much of the money meant for up to 40,000 former James Hardie employees who have developed asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma would end up as tax payments. He said he would put the victims' case "very forcefully" when he met with Prime Minister John Howard to discuss the matter this week. .
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