Asbestos victory in the Lords

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On 16 May the rights of British mesothelioma victims to obtain civil compensation were restored in a landmark judgement in the House of Lords. Five Law Lords upheld the appeals of Mrs Fairchild, Mrs Doreen Fox and Mr Edwin Matthews unanimously.

Following highly questionable moves by the insurers, the Lords agreed that where someone had been exposed to asbestos by several companies and given certain criteria they would all be found liable and any claimant would not have to identify which bit of dust from which employer made them ill. This overturned a previous Court of Appeal decision that would have meant most asbestos mesothelioma cases would not be compensated.

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