Pleural Plaque Victims In UK May Soon Receive Compensation

In the United Kingdom, Parliament is looking to pass the Damages (Asbestos-Related Conditions) Bill that will help many whose have been affected by asbestos but have yet to develop a specific disease. This is good news for Herald Whittle who has suffered from breathing issues and has pleural plaques on his ribcage and diaphragm from contact with the carcinogen.

Whittle, a 64-year-old grandfather of three, worked at the Wilford Power Station for nine months when he was only 19 years old. “I was the youngest one there and I was the only one thin enough to go between the pipes,” he said, “I was practically eating the stuff. There were no rules in those days and I had no protection.”

Pleural plaques is not actually painful and has no symptoms but does mean that Mr. Whittle is at a higher risk of developing other more serious illnesses including lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer. A few years ago, those in Mr. Whittle’s situation were able to receive compensation from insurance companies. However, in 2007, a ruling in the House of Lords stopped the payouts since insurance companies opposed the law saying that pleural plaques do not cause other illnesses.

Chris Stansfield, a British lawyer has had experience with asbestos cases for approximately two decades. “Pleural plaques are basically a marker that someone has been affected by asbestos,” he said. It puts those diagnosed in a tough position. Not until they are diagnosed with a fatal illness such as mesothelioma are they allowed to receive compensation but by that time the person is usually not given a long to live.

Still, things may change soon for those with pleural plaques. There was a unanimous passing of the Damages (Asbestos-Related Conditions) Bill last week by the Members of Parliament.  The bill still needs to be approved a third time and given assent by the House of Lords before it is made into a law, but supporters are one step closer.

“I was shocked when I was diagnosed. I went in to have my heart X-rayed and I came out with that,” said Whittle. “You are a 19-year-old, you don’t think about that. You just think about the money.”

Source:  http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homenews/Hope-workers-scarred-asbestos/article-963844-detail/article.html