Expert Comments

Opinion

Court of appeal decides in favour of asbestosis victim – a victory for common sense

Harry Steinberg QC and Aliyah Akram, both of 12 King’s Bench Walk chambers, successfully argued in the Court of Appeal that a 2.3% contribution to a claimant’s asbestosis constituted actionable...

July 29, 2016

Isobel Lovett

Opinion

The difference between tobacco and asbestos?

Today if anyone quoted from the tobacco manufacturer’s scientific evidence that smoking does not cause lung cancer they would probably be laughed out of court. However, despite their own knowledge...

July 20, 2016

Opinion

Science and asbestos or simple reality?

Examination of the various studies produced and funded by the asbestos industry show a long history of manipulation of scientific data to postulate that anything but chrysotile causes mesothelioma. Time...

July 6, 2016

Opinion

mesothelioma

Action Mesothelioma Day

Action Mesothelioma Day is a chance to remember the more than 2500 people who died of this disease last year in the UK. We should also think about the similar...

June 29, 2016

Opinion

Asbestos victims of terror attacks

I had the privilege of meeting Jonathan Woods and acted for him in respect of his claim for mesothelioma arising out of his exposure to asbestos at the Grand Hotel,...

June 27, 2016

Opinion

The myth of safe white asbestos

Reading this article got me thinking about the ongoing threat posed to members of the public by irresponsible and unlicensed asbestos removal and disposal. It seems fly-tipping of asbestos is...

June 6, 2016

Isobel Lovett

Opinion

Fact: White asbestos kills

The International Agency for Research on Cancer categorises asbestos as a Group 1 Carcinogen, meaning that it is definitely carcinogenic to humans. All types of asbestos cause mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is...

May 27, 2016

Opinion

Helping Hospices

This year more than 400 gardens across England and Wales will be open during the NGS Festival Garden Weekend from 4 to 5 June 2016.

May 25, 2016

Opinion

Insurers save at the expense of victims

The scheme was set up in 2014 to compensate those suffering from mesothelioma who were negligently exposed to asbestos at work but could not trace their ex-employers or their insurers...

May 23, 2016

Opinion

Right of direct action against insurers to become a reality… at last!

The Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010 received Royal Assent on 25 March 2010 yet is still not in force. Implementation of the Act has been delayed because of...

May 20, 2016

Isobel Lovett

Opinion

Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes – the new “miracle fibre”

During a recent flight, I was chatting to the passenger next to me about work. When I told her I handled cases for people who have developed mesothelioma due to...

April 27, 2016

Isobel Lovett

Opinion

Workers’ Memorial Day, 28.4.16: Remember the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living!

Our work as industrial disease lawyers makes us acutely aware of the consequences of employers’ disregard for the health and safety of their workers as we represent those who, through...

April 27, 2016

Isobel Lovett

Opinion

“No one knew asbestos was dangerous…”

The 1931 Asbestos Industry Regulations were designed to protect the safety of workers in the Asbestos Industry and factories from the risks to health from working with asbestos.

April 26, 2016

Opinion

TTIP and the return of asbestos

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is a series of trade negotiations that have been going on for three years in near complete secrecy between the EU and US.

April 22, 2016

Opinion

Asbestos in schools

The recent closure of a school in Blurton, Stoke on Trent because of the dangers of asbestos in the building highlights a problem that is likely to get worse.

April 21, 2016

Blog

asbestos
mesothelioma

£5m for National Mesothelioma Centre of Excellence

The Chancellor’s Budget announcement that the government would give £5m to establish a National Mesothelioma Centre of Excellence was greeted with surprise by many who work with asbestos disease victims...

April 15, 2016

Opinion

Update on Pleural Plaques

In Scotland a recent test case doubled the level of compensation for a worker who developed pleural plaques on his lungs as a result of being exposed to asbestos. His...

April 12, 2016

Opinion

Court finally rights a mathematical wrong

In the fatal mesothelioma case of Knauer v MOJ [2014] EWHC 2553 (QB) the trial judge held that he was bound to follow the approach adopted by the House of...

February 25, 2016

Blog

Adding Insult to Injury: asbestos related lung cancer sufferers face further setback

The Court of Appeal decision in Heneghan v Manchester Dry Docks Ltd and ors has been hailed as a victory by insurers.

February 15, 2016

Isobel Lovett

Blog

Mesothelioma sufferers in armed forces to receive lump sum compensation

The Ministry of Defence has finally bowed to pressure and recognised that it needed to act to correct an obvious injustice in the current treatment of service men and women…

February 3, 2016

Isobel Lovett