Government will reverse mesothelioma ruling

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer has announced changes to compensation laws which will mean victims of asbestos-related cancer will receive full compensation.

The announcement follows the House of Lords ruling in Barker v Corus in May this year that prevented thousands of mesothelioma victims from receiving a full payout . The decision reduced the amount of compensation to which they were entitled when employers and their insurers were unavailable to be sued, as well as making the whole process of claiming compensation longer and more costly.

In response The Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer and John Hutton, the Work and Pensions Secretary, will amend the Compensation Bill - currently going through Parliament - to reverse the ruling. The amendment will mean that negligent employers will be jointly and severally liable and that claimants will be able to recover full compensation from any one employer.



Peter Williams, a partner in the Asbestos Claims Department at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP, said:

"I am delighted the government has promptly indicated their intention to restore the rights of those suffering from mesothelioma to claim full compensation from any one employer.

"Whilst we do need to look at the detail and timing of the legislation we hope to be able to tell our clients and their families we can deal with their cases speedily and that they no longer face the prospect of losing large amounts of compensation through no fault of their own."

About 1,900 people die in the UK each year from mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen, which is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP is one of the country?s leading asbestos disease claims firms. Over twenty-five years Rodney Nelson-Jones and his team have recovered nearly ?100M in over 1,750 successful cases.

For more details or comment please contact:

Asbestos Claims Department of Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP.

Peter Williams (020 7861 4825)

Andrew Morgan (020 7861 4036)



info@ffw.com

Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP

35 Vine Street

London

EC3N 2AA

United Kingdom

Tel 020 7861 4000

Fax 020 7488 0084



About Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP

FFW is a full service law firm based in the City of London. With 91 partners, over 180 other lawyers and over 250 support staff, we assist a wide range of domestic and international clients, with advice across a full range of commercial legal issues. Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP also houses one of the country's leading personal injury practices.

Who Can be at risk for Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a rare disease caused as a result of malignant cancerous cells lining the patient's body cavities such as chest, abdominal region or the area surrounding the heart. It is typically associated with exposure to asbestos which has been documented in as many as 70-80% of all mesothelioma cases. This disease is very difficult to assess consistently due to the great variability in time before diagnosis and the rate of progression of malignant mesothelioma.

Even insignificant exposure to asbestos (commonly reported in such work environments as asbestos mills, mines, shipping yards, some older Navy ships or patients. homes) is known to result in mesothelioma, which in many cases does not occur for decades after initial exposure to this cancer-causing substance. In the recent years as many as 2000-3000 cases of have been diagnosed per year. It is also known that family members of workers exposed to asbestos can contract this disease through exposure to the worker's clothing. Smoking greatly increases the risk of contracting this disease.

Mesothelioma, this is a deadly disease that has been in the spotlight for the last decade. Sad but true, the number of under-regulation usage in years past still shows that we are paying for it today. It can be safely said that almost everyone in the world has been exposed to asbestos at one point in their life. Because of the unique nature of the disease, even those who have suffered only small exposure are at risk of contracting the disease. In effect, virtually everyone has some risk of contracting Mesothelioma.

But while this sort of statement is true, it is also open ended and up for debate. While it is certainly true that individuals who have been exposed to small amounts of asbestos for relatively short periods of time have contracted the disease, this is a rarity in most cases. In fact, the vast majority of Mesothelioma cases involve individuals who were exposed to airborne asbestos fibers for an extended period of time.

Most research shows that the industries most in danger of prolonged exposure and thus of contraction are shipbuilding trades, asbestos mining and milling, textile work, insulation work, and brake repair personnel workers. There are, however, some other similar factors which can affect the likelihood of contracting this disease. Among these is exposure to radiation. There have been causes in which individuals who were exposed to radiation have subsequently displayed signs of and contracted mesothelioma. However, the studies to attempt to verify this correlation have not proven out this claim in a strong way.

Another more certain and proven cause of the disease was the taking of the Polio vaccines. Some batches of this vaccine were contaminated with Simian Virus 40 which has been detected in a host of rare cancers including Mesothelioma. Some individuals who have been exposed to long periods and high quantities of asbestos have not contracted the disease. As a result, doctors have concluded that genetics play a major role in determining whether or not patients contract the disease. Unfortunately, the gene variability which offers some resistance to the disease also means that some are particularly vulnerable to asbestos exposure.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, remember that time matters. The faster you consult your doctor and get professional care the better your chances will be of dealing with this dangerous cancer. There are three traditional methods of fighting cancerous mesothelioma: surgery, chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy. Please contact your doctor as soon as possible to get more information.. We only ask that you leave the resource box and link. You can see more great articles on Weight Loss, Diet, Exercise, Health and much more by going to: http://www.Exercise-Diet.com

Avoid Further Mesothelioma Injury Through Prompt Treatment

Mesothelioma injury can be classified into three main groups, Pleural (chest), Peritoneal (abdominal) and Pericardial (heart). All three types of Mesothelioma injury are mainly cause through exposure to an Asbestos related substance.

Mesothelioma injury arises when the Mesothelioma cells surrounding the lungs, heart, or abdominal organs become cancerous. The Mesothelioma cells change to form nodules, which can then clump together to form a tumor, or tumors around the organ.

In more extreme cases of Mesothelioma Cancer, the Mesothelioma tumor can break through the walls of the organs that it surrounds and cause internal damage to the organ. Also, in some cases the Cancer can travel through the blood stream and affect other organs, not directly surrounded by the original Mesothelioma Cancerous Cells.

The origins of Mesothelioma injury begin when a person is exposed to an asbestos related substance. The person either inhales the Asbestos fibers, or the fibers enter the skin. These fibers either lodge in the lungs, or travel through the body and affect the heart, or abdominal organs.

The bodies natural defense system will attempt to eradicate the fibers from the body, through attempts to expel the fibers. However, some fibers will become lodged in the Mesothelioma cell layers that provide a protective layer around the lungs, heart and abdominal area.

Over time, the Mesothelioma cells surrounding the fibers, can change consistency and become cancerous. It is at this stage that the Mesothelioma injury begins to occur, as it turns into Mesothelioma.

However, Mesothelioma injury also includes the conditional affects that occur as a result of having Mesothelioma Cancer. Some of these conditional affects include, immune deficiency, which can lead to a slow break down of the bodies defense system.

Once the bodies defense system begins to break down the body can become subject to colds and other such illnesses. The overall affects of having Mesothelioma Cancer can lead to an array of Mesothelioma injuries and has the potential to cause major organ failure.

In order to prevent the adverse affects of Mesothelioma injury, Mesothelioma doctors have been implementing various treatments that aim to prevent further damage. Some of these treatments include, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immune augmentative therapy.

In regard to Mesothelioma Cancer, Surgery aims to remove the Cancerous Mesothelioma cells, while chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the Cancerous cells. Radiation therapy also aims to eliminate the Mesothelioma cells, while immune augmentative therapy aims to restore the bodys natural immune system to a level in which it can be effective in helping to fight the effects of Mesothelioma Cancer.

All of these treatment methods are aimed at preventing further Mesothelioma injury to the patient. If you, or someone you know, have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma Cancer, ensure that you seek immediate treatment to prevent the affects of Mesothelioma Cancer and to avoid further Mesothelioma injury.
Learn more about mesothelioma treatment and asbestos litigation go here: http://www.mesothelioma-treatment-center.com/mesothelioma-injury.htm