Justice for Pleural Plaques

I received this email from TULO late yesterday– It a very good campaign but it is about time that the Government woke up and sorted this issue out PDQ.

"I've just been contacted by a colleague about Pleural Plaques and I knew I had to act. I'm writing today because I need your help in getting justice for victims of this terrible disease. I've just launched a petition calling for victims of Pleural Plaques to be fairly compensated for their injuries - you can sign it here:http://unionstogether.org.uk/justice

Pleural Plaques are scarring of the lungs caused by heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos. Until a few years ago, sufferers of the disease were able to claim compensation. Crucially, this meant that companies were liable if they exposed their workers to asbestos. But in October 2007, the Law Lords outrageously scrapped this precedent - meaning that thousands of people with Pleural Plaques would not be entitled to a single penny, whilst insurers profited to the tune of £1.4BN.

My petition calls on the Government to do the right thing for victims of Pleural Plaques and restore compensation. The Scottish Parliament and the devolved administration in Northern Ireland have already done this - and with your help we'll get Whitehall to stop dragging their feet and get this sorted in England and Wales too.

You can sign the petition here: http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/page/m2/6e20ef71/6e22190d/3c1c334a/524f474d/2110597015/VEsC/ Employers have long known about the dangers of exposure to asbestos. But instead of providing the protection required to safeguard their staff, many simply decided to hope they could get away with it.A truly disgusting decision and a real abdication of duty.

Now thousands of men and women suffer from an entirely avoidable disease, and those who are diagnosed today aren't even entitled to compensation.The Law Lords' decision that the lung scarring caused by asbestos isn't worthy of compensation is clearly wrong. In fact, the whole process was dubious - with one lawyer on the payroll of the employers' insurance companies having the audacity to claim that pleural plaques were a "good thing." This couldn't be further from the truth.

Pleural plaques are a sign of deep scarring to the lungs. Real physical injury, caused by long-term exposure to asbestos. And it causes significant mental anguish as well - Pleural Plaques victims have a dramatically higher chance of developing Mesothelioma - a lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.Many victims describe this as a ticking time bomb that infects their lives with fear - imagine living with the knowledge that your lungs had been irreversibly damaged by asbestos. Tragically, we know of at least one sufferer who couldn't live with the fear and took their own life.

Together we can make a difference. We want to see the government take action to reverse the Law Lords' judgement and make this unjust situation right. All we're asking for is justice for the people who need our help.Please sign our petition - and then get your friends to sign it as well.http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/page/m2/6e20ef71/6e22190d/3c1c334a/524f474d/2110597015/VEsD/Together we'll send a powerful message to the Government - justice now.

Byron Taylor