Mesothelioma
Thompsons, one of the UK’s leading claimant personal injury law firms, is calling for people to support a petition as part of its Justice for Asbestos Families campaign.
The firm is highlighting an injustice in the way compensation for bereavement is awarded to families who have lost a relative to mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung caused by asbestos.
Workers Memorial Day
Workers Memorial Day tomorrow (Saturday, April 28, 2007) is a chance to remember all of those who died from work-related diseases or accidents.
The event is held on April 28 every year and all over the world workers stop to commemorate their colleagues who have died.
The day is intended to serve as a rallying cry to remember the dead but to also fight for workers’ rights for the living.
The TUC coordinates activities across the country and this year the day will focus on occupational cancers like mesothelioma.
As a law firm specialising in asbestos compensation Thompsons Solicitors has acted on behalf of hundreds of mesothelioma victims over the years.
Justice for Asbestos Families Campaign
Thompsons launched its Justice for Asbestos Families campaign last week calling for compensation for bereavement for mesothelioma families to be made equal across the UK after revealing that families in Scotland can receive tens of thousands of pounds more.
The firm wants to see a change in the way bereavement payments are assessed so families across the UK receive compensation in line with the amount currently paid to families in Scotland.
In England and Wales the level of compensation is set at £10,000 by law and is only payable to the spouse of the deceased but over the border in Scotland payments up to £30,000 are made to bereaved widows.
Not only widows but also other family members in Scotland can also receive bereavement compensation of between £10,000 to £15,000 each.
The campaign, backed by the trade unions, aims to change the law so everyone in the UK is paid the same level of bereavement compensation.
Head of Asbestos Policy
Head of asbestos policy at Thompsons Ian McFall said: “I would urge people to support this campaign by signing the petition to show the Government the level of feeling on this issue.
“Your support will help persuade the Government to make this change the law for the benefit of asbestos victims and their families.”
Case studies and interviews with lawyers in regional Thompsons Solicitors offices are available. Please contact Gayle Tomlinson on 07734321211 for more information.
TV soap highlights workplace death issue.
The campaign has been covered by the BBC at 'Bid to increase asbestos pay-outs'
Asbestos disease diagnosis? Talk to us for advice and support on how to secure compensation.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we can support you with advice on how to make a claim.
The process will be explained in plain English and with no obligation – our priority is to provide you with the best, expert advice on whether you have a valid case for compensation, and to signpost you to further sources of support.
There are strict time limits applied to making a claim – usually three years from the date of diagnosis. It doesn’t matter if the exposure to asbestos took place – as it often does – decades ago, the three year time limit applies to the date of knowledge of diagnosis or date of death.
For further information, visit our How to Make A Compensation Claim page.