Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group Host Unique Annual Legal Conference

A charity that helps patients and their families affected by asbestos related diseases held their annual conference for the legal profession last Friday at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool.

The Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group have held the conferences since 2006 and they have become the 'must attend' event for specialist solicitors and barristers who work in the field of asbestos litigation.

Group photo of some of the attendees of the Conference - (c) Chris Ingram

The guest speakers, who give their time freely for the fundraising event, reported on the latest developments and challenges in securing justice for those affected by asbestos related diseases and in particular mesothelioma; a fatal cancer of the lining of the lung caused by asbestos exposure.

The Chairperson of the conference, Mr. Peter Cowan, a leading Barrister said:

"This is an important annual legal conference, which always attracts high quality speakers from a range of disciplines. Lawyers specialising in asbestos disease claims invariably find the event invaluable in terms of maintaining and updating their knowledge and skills".

He chaired the conference with a lighthearted style, mixed with humour and appropriate seriousness; as he helped to create a relaxed and informative conference for the 80 plus delegates representing several law firms from across the UK, including London, Leicester, Liverpool, and the wider North West.

Interestingly, there were also young university students attending organised by Oriel Chambers.

Representatives of the NHS and the private sector specialists in asbestos related illness healthcare also attended.

Given that guest speakers included leading legal experts, the opportunity was there to ask questions of the speakers, which was eagely taken up.  

John Flanagan, Support Officer, and Manager of the group commented:

“While our core role is helping people with welfare benefit applications together with campaigning for research into finding improved treatment and a cure for these insidious diseases and a global ban on asbestos, we have held these conferences since 2006 and they have become an essential annual event for the legal profession who help patients recover compensation to which they are fully entitled.” 

He added:

“The money received cannot compensate for the loss of   life and the pain and suffering experienced by anyone diagnosed with an asbestos related disease. However, it does go some way towards supporting sufferers and their families cope to some degree with the tragic and devastating circumstances that arise following a diagnosis with an asbestos disease."

CWU's NW Health & Safety Reps attended, given their having to deal with Asbestos in the workplace and fighting for the victims exposed to the Asbestos which can still be found in some BT/Openreach exchange buildings and cable chambers.

The CWU NW BT H&S Co-ord's Secretary John Southwell, Web Editor, Chris Ingram of CWU Grter Merseyside Amal, and Derek Maylor retired member of the same Branch and now volunteering and a trustee of MAVSG covered the Conference; and will be issueing reports of the event which this website will publish later this week.

Source: MAVSG / Unionsafety (additional text and photos)

See also: Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group Legal Conference Report