Insurers Paying Bonuses to Employees Who Fight Asbestos Claims

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Bonuses Being Paid to Insurance Employees Fighting Asbestos Compensation Claims [10th Oct 2011]

Insurance companies are being criticised this week after it was revealed that insurance executives who are fighting a legal battle to limit the amount of compensation asbestos victims can receive are taking home huge bonuses for doing so. Ian Willet from Municipal Mutual Insurance has told courts that he and a colleague were paid extra because they managed to save the company money in an asbestos case. Three other insurance firms are working together to minimise asbestos payments, despite it causing more than 4,000 deaths each year. The insurers could be looking at a bill of more than £250 million in compensation if they lose their case. However the Association of British Insurers has pointed out that this action is being taken by a small group and that most insurers are happy to pay. Lawyers have described the bonus system as hugely cynical and the Trade Union Congress has pointed out that the insurers have been taking the premiums for years and are now trying to avoid paying out.

A woman who suffered abuse at the hands of a foster brother is to sue Barnardos and a London council, claiming that they allowed her to be attacked. The woman is claiming £30,000 in compensation from child's charity Barnardos and from Houndslow Council saying that the abuse she suffered from the age of four has caused her long term psychological damage. The action is taking place in the High Court. The woman was originally adopted by a couple as a baby. When she was two the family fostered two more children who were older than the girl. This fostering was arranged by the charity and the council. Barnardos had prepared a report which said that the boy should not be placed with other children, however this report was never shown to the foster parents or the local authority. The woman says she was abused by the boy on at least 20 occasions. She claims that she was failed by the authorities in their duty to protect her from harm.

The Medical Defence Union (MDU) has spoken out ahead of the Health and Social Care Bill which will get its second reading in the House of Lords soon. They are asking for changes to be made which will ensure that anyone harmed by an independent provider can sue for compensation. Dr Christine Tompkins from the MDU has said that the current bill fails to ensure indemnity arrangements fro anyone providing services to the NHS. This could mean that patients could fail to receive compensation if they are harmed. She says that there needs to be a requirement for guidance which would set out the type of arrangement necessary to make sure patients receive proper compensation.

An ex-gymnast who agreed to promote an artificial hip implant is taking legal action against the manufacturer after she was left in pain from her hip replacement. Penny Brown is part of an action of more than 300 patients against DePuy. She has been told she will need further surgery because her implant had worn out. Ms Brown says she is embarrassed because she told others to get the hip replacement as she was told she would not need further surgery at least until she was in her sixties. The implant has a failure rate which is twice that expected and leaves victims with severe pain and can also cause bone damage to the joint. She agreed to feature in the advertising of the product after the operation and before she started to have problems. She is suing for compensation .

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