I’ve recently come across the following video. The message itself is somewhat confused in that it starts by commenting on an attack that was launched on a defendant lawyer and then somehow uses this to support arguments concerning there being a “compensation culture”. Nevertheless, I present it here as it at least gives something of the public perception of lawyers:
A more detailed review of the original story appeared in an article in The Telegraph (link to external site). Whatever one’s view of the pleural plaques litigation, an attack on a solicitor involved in the test cases from MPs and fellow solicitors is extraordinary.
The law as it currently stands in relation to pleural plaques litigation has led to a reduction in the amount of work that my firm would otherwise handle. We deal with a significant amount of asbestos litigation for defendants and pleural plaques work previously represented a sizeable proportion of that work. Nevertheless, for what it’s worth, I think the House of Lords was correct to find that pleural plaques was not an injury for which compensation should be awarded. However, I am never able to get out of my mind the suspicion that those claimant lawyers who campaign for a change in the law in this area, and argue that a terrible injustice has been done, are actually primarily concerned with the potential fees they have lost rather than the “injured”.
