England--Compensation payments to the wives and husbands of victims of asbestos could triple if a bid by lawyers for parity with payments in Scotland is successful.Asbestos causes mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung. There is no cure, and although the disease can take 60 years to show itself, death usually occurs soon after diagnosis - often within a matter of months.
Although now banned, the use of asbestos has left Leeds with a heavy legacy, partly because of the activities of the J W Roberts factory in Armley. For decades, the factory spewed asbestos dust on to surrounding streets. Workers were affected. Even washing the garments of an asbestos worker has resulted in other family members contracting the disease.
A local resident lost her mother to mesothelioma. She then contracted the disease. She sued the owners of the J W Roberts factory, which had closed in the 1950s. She lived long enough to win compensation, opening the door to claims from thousands of other asbestos victims.
source: http://www.leedstoday.net/ViewArticle.aspx?sectionid=39&articleid=2710142
