Scotland’s leading asbestos lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, and asbestos campaigners have welcomed today’s Supreme Court ruling that insurers who offered cover at the time victims were exposed to asbestos are liable to pay compensation to victims.

The ruling means that asbestos victims who were exposed to the deadly dust while working for companies who have now gone bust will still be entitled to compensation. 

Asbestos expert at Thompsons Solicitors, Laura Blane, said:

“This is great news for the rights of asbestos sufferers in Scotland.  It is the right decision which will mean that victims and families who have suffered due to asbestos can get justice they deserve.

“Insurance companies have tried to introduce a number of hurdles to avoid paying rightful compensation to the victims of asbestos and their families- we had the legal challenge with pleural plaques, which the Supreme Court righty rejected in October for example.

“The time of insurers trying to avoid their responsibilities really needs to come to an end.  Asbestos victims deserve proper compensation and hopefully we’ll get to a stage where that is recognised by all concerned.”

Chair of Clydeside Action on Asbestos, Phyllis Craig, said:

“We welcome today’s judgement.  Any other decision would have been a backwards step in the rights of asbestos sufferers across the UK.

“The insurance industry really needs to stop standing in the way of justice.  This is people’s lives we’re talking about; they are having to live with diseases caused by asbestos exposure that was no fault of their own.  To continually attempt to block their right to full compensation is simply wrong.

“With October’s judgement on pleural plaque in Scotland and now this judgement I hope insurers get the message: asbestos victims deserve the fullest possible compensation.”