Employers' insurer at time of exposure 'liable'

A court case has been settled in which it was ruled companies that operated as insurers of employers at the time of asbestos exposure remain liable for compensation.

Formally known as the Employers' Liability Policy Trigger Litigation, the judgement issued by Mr Justice Burton has set precedent that the insurer at the moment of exposure rather than the point at which symptoms emerge should pay.

Casualty claims director at insurer Zurich, Iwan Borszcz, claims the resolution of the situation is a positive step for asbestos-related cancer sufferers.

"If we didn't challenge this issue in court, then the compensation payments for the victims that were negligently exposed to asbestos would have been either significantly less than they should've been, or non-existent," he states.

The Health and Safety Executive is currently involved in a campaign to raise awareness of the risks the substance poses to tradesmen.

Entitled Asbestos: The Hidden Killer, it highlights the fact 4,000 people each year die to exposure to the material.