Asbestos Litigation

In a major win for asbestos victims in the UK, a Scottish court recently rejected an appeal from a number of insurance companies.

Insurers Axa, Aviva, RSA and Zurich argued in front of the Court of Session that a Scottish law that gave sufferers of pleural plaques, an asbestos-related malady, access to compensation was illegal, according to the Glasgow Evening Times.

Many people were exposed to asbestos over the years as the naturally occurring mineral was widely used in a variety of industries, such as construction, shipbuilding and auto maintenance, because of its insulating properties and resistance to fire. This exposure has caused hundreds of thousands of people to develop asbestos-related illnesses like malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis because of their jobs.

A prominent Scottish asbestos attorney told the news source that the court's decision was a major success for asbestos victims.

"This is a great day for democracy and a triumph for justice over insurers trying to avoid their responsibilities," he said. "The insurers now have to do the decent thing and no longer delay payments for wrongful conduct in exposing employees to asbestos exposure by employers and thus prolonging the victims' agony."