Thompsons has highlighted the fact that in England and Wales the level of bereavement compensation is set at £10,000 by law ans is only payable to the spouse of the deceased.

 

But in Scotland bereavement payments of up to £30,000 have been made to widows, while other family members such as siblings and children can also recieve up to £15,000 each.

 

Bereavement awards are payable in the event of death caused by negligence, whether through accident or industrial disease. In England and Wales the fixed statutory award of £10,000 payable to only spouses is set by the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.

 

Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung caused by asbestos, causes extreme pain and suffering before death. So families affected by a death from mesothelioma experience unusually severe grief and an enduring sense of loss. This is often exacerbated by knowing that the suffering and death was caused by the negligence of an employer.

 

The number of people being diagnosed with asbestos related diseases continues to rise due to the amount of time, usually decades after exposure, that these conditions take to develop. It is predicted that 90,000 people in the uk will die from mesothelioma as a result of previous exposure to asbestos.

 

Thompsons head of asbestos policy Ian MCFall Said: "Restricting bereavement damages to £10,000 is a derisory sum for the grief caused by the death of a close family member. Whole families suffer terribly when they lose a loved one to mesothelioma. They carry emotional burden with them for the rest of their lives. Families in England & Wales should rather have their suffering recognised by law."

 

The only way to increase the level of beravement damages is by a change in the law. Already scores of Mp's have backed an Early Day Motion in Parliment which urges the government to 'act swiftly to ensure that those suffering from this deadly disease have the same rights in England and Wales as they do in Scotland'.

 

Many people have also signed a petition on the Thompsons website www.thompsons.law.co.uk

 

GMB General Secretary, Paul Kenny said "Bereavement compensation for families of those who have died from mesothelioma, many of whom have been our members, should be equal no matter where you were exposed to asbestos in the UK. The law must be changed to ensure families in England and Wales are entitled to the same level of compensation for bereavement as a family in Scotland. The current imbalance is unjust and cannot continue."

 

GMB urges all members to sign the petition calling on the government to change the law on bereavement damages. Please go to www.thompsons.law.co.uk/campaigns/justice-for-asbestos-families.htm