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Mendacious Insurance Industry Shows Its True Colours In Its Attempts To Block Justice For Pleural Plaques Victims

Construction union UCATT have warned that the insurance industry is making outrageous statements about Pleural Plaques in an attempt to avoid paying compensation to victims.

Last year the Law Lords overturned over 20 years of case law when they ruled that victims of pleural plaques (scarring of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos) should no longer be eligible for compensation. The Law Lords ruling is estimated to save the insurance industry over £1 billion in future compensation payments.

The Scottish Government are committed to overturning the Law Lords decision north of the border. In England and Wales the Government is currently consulting on a way forward on the issue.

Pleural Plaques develop 20 plus years after workers are subjected to heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos. Victims can suffer some physical symptoms. Due to victims having a greatly enhanced chance of developing the incurable lung cancer mesothelioma, sufferers often experience severe mental health issues. This can include, depression, anxiety, weight loss, obsessive-compulsive disorder (where victims try to wash the asbestos out of their body) and obsessive compulsive overeating (as they associate thinness with dying of cancer).

On Tuesday (September 2) five representatives of the insurance industries, all of whom owe their remuneration to the sector, appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee to give their views on the planned legislation.

Pamela Abernethy representing the Forum of Insurance Lawyers, claimed: “My submission would be that plaques are a good thing and do not cause harm.”

Nick Starling of the Association of British Insurers, said: “Pleural Plaques are benign. They do not have any symptoms associated with them, except in the most exceptional of cases.”

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: “This hearing is the first example of the insurance industry baring their teeth. These claims by alleged experts are both inaccurate and offensive. In the course of our campaign to get the Law Lords decision overturned we have met a great many people whose lives have been blighted by this condition.”

It is understood by UCATT that the insurance industry is prepared to invest a great deal of money in opposing any attempts to have the Law Lords ruling overturned.

Mr Ritchie, added: “Working people were needlessly exposed to asbestos by bosses who knew the risks but were not concerned about their long term well-being. Pleural Plaques victims deserve justice and it is essential that the entire union movement is united and with the support of sympathetic MPs, we get the Law Lords decision overturned.”

In a Parliamentary debate about Pleural Plaques earlier this year Michael Clapham MP described the insurance industry as “jackals”.

For Further information contact Barckley Sumner on 0780 2329235