Court case ‘could lead to more asbestos compensation claims’

Posted 22/09/2009

The number of compensation claims made for -related diseases could be set to rise due to a mesothelioma-linked court case.

Dianne Willmore, 49, is currently involved in a legal battle with Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council over her right to claim £240,000 in compensation after being exposed to while attending school.

She subsequently contracted the terminal lung cancer mesothelioma as a result of this, which has raised fears that many students at comprehensive schools built in the 1960s may also have been affected, reports the Daily Mirror.

Should London’s civil appeals court find in Ms Willmore’s favour, it could open the door for a number of further court cases.

It is estimated that 50,000 compensation claims could be brought against authorities in the next 40 years if Knowsley Council’s appeal fails.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, exposure to can cause a number of debilitating and potentially fatal conditions, including asbestosis and pleural thickening.