Sign Petition To Ensure The 2013 Mesothelioma Bill Gives Justice For All Sufferers

Currently, The Mesophelioma Bill helps only those diagnosed as suffering from the disease after 25th July 2012. Natural justice dictates that all those suffering from the disease should be helped, irrespective of when they were diagnosed with the disease.

Above all, suffers should get 100% of the compensation they are entitled to.

Most victims of asbestos related diseases need to take legal action. They do not want the compensation for themselves; they want to provide financial certainty for their families. Many find legal action is impossible because the liable insurance company cannot be traced.  This is wrong.

The Government says its Mesothelioma Bill will help and yet it intends to cut awards down to 70% of what people are entitled to.

Once again this government action shows they are only concerned with the financial circumstances of private company bosses, using the deficit as an excuse to make the innocent pay for the corrupt actions of the bankers.

Workplace Law explains:

'Essentially, the Mesothelioma Bill will enable those who have suffered from lung cancers as a result of asbestos exposure to obtain compensation, even if the appropriate insurer or liable employer cannot be found.

This type of scenario is more commonplace than one might imagine.

Mesothelioma can take between 20 and 40 years from the first inhalation of substances to display symptoms. This means that, in many Mesothelioma cases, sufferers may have been exposed to asbestos during their employment but not realised the extent of the damage until many years later. By this time, their former employers are often no longer active or traceable, which has previously prevented victims claiming insurance.

The new Bill will change this though; insurers that provide liability insurance for employers will now pay a new tax. This will be set aside to cover payments for Mesothelioma victims whose former employers have gone out of business or can’t be tracked down. It essentially means that insurance companies will be the ones paying compensation in these instances.

Initially, this sounds extremely promising. However, there are considerable restrictions in place that limit the number of people that can apply, as well as the amount they can receive. To make a claim, sufferers must have been diagnosed on or after 25 July 2012. This means that thousands of victims who have been diagnosed in the past and not received payment will still be without compensation. Those who do qualify will also only receive an arbitrary 70% of what they are entitled to.

The average pay-out for Mesothelioma victims from insurance companies is £65,000, although this can often rise to a six figure sum if the sufferers have dependants. Those who can claim under the new legislation will have their compensation cut by an average of £19,500, which is an outrageous figure. Furthermore, this considerable, potentially life-changing amount is quite simply unavailable to those diagnosed before last year whose employers cannot be located.'

The petition, set up by a 38 Degrees member Paul Worrall, is addressed to Lord Frued

You are urged to sign the petition to demand justice for ALL sufferers of Mesothelioma whilst also insisting upon 100% compensation for the victims of this terrible killer disease for which there is currently no cure; rather then the 70% the Bill will enforce.

Tell this mean and immoral government that justice demands a society that looks after victims of work related disease.

Click the pic above to sign the petition.

Source: Hilda Palmer / 38 degrees / Workplace Law

Designed, Hosted and Maintained by Union Safety Services