HJA Asbestos Team Attend “Asbestos And The Law” Conference

On Friday 25th March, Isobel Lovett and Katherine Currie of our Asbestos Team, attended the Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group’s annual “Asbestos and the Law” conference in Liverpool. It was a stimulating conference with speakers including Dr Robin Rudd who talked about low exposure cases, Professor Peter Szlosarek who gave us an update on clinical research trials for patients with mesothelioma, US attorney, Brendan Tully talking about talc and make-up claims in the US, and many others. It was a great day to get together with old friends, to feel common cause.

At the end, we gathered together on the steps of the Maritime Museum to mark the victory of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum in securing documents belonging to Cape, one of the largest worldwide producers of asbestos products, which prove that the company deliberately misled the Government and the public about the levels of dust produced and the danger posed by their products.

These documents were about to be destroyed at the end of a court case brought by insurers seeking a contribution from Cape, for damages paid to Claimants who had handled the products and then developed asbestos related illnesses. Luckily, through the timely intervention of the Forum, the documents were saved from destruction, though only by the Forum pursuing this to the highest court in the land.

Thanks to the Forum and its lawyers, we now have access to these documents which will help asbestos victims who need to pursue claims in the future, against Cape or against any employer who caused them to handle Cape’s products.