Only a quarter of those suffering from industrial diseases are getting the compensation they deserve, because the rest cannot trace their employer's insurer, according to the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). This is despite the government setting up a code to tackle this problem last year.
On the first annual review of the code APIL has spoken out, saying that: "Far too many people are still in the dark and unable to track down the insurance policy held by their employer at the time their disease was contracted."
APIL presdient Frances McCarthy said: "We have always said a voluntary code without tough sanctions would not work: it must be made compulsory for all insurers to play ball if injured people are to get the service they deserve."
APIL repeated its calls for a central register of employers' liability insurers to deal with the problem.
The government put together its code with the help of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Non-Marine Association at Lloyd's.
It said that if the code is not more successful in its second year it will consult them again to work out a way to achieve "a higher rate of success".
