Zurich welcomes verdict in landmark asbestos case

Zurich has welcomed the decision of Justice Burton in the employers' liability policy trigger litigation case, which found insurers of employers exposing their employees to asbestos dust will be liable to pay compensation for subsequent asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma.

Zurich challenged several insurers - all of which have ceased trading - who argued that compensation should be paid to victims only when the individual became ill, potentially many years after they were exposed to asbestos dust, and by which time no such policy existed in many cases.

Iwan Borszcz, Zurich casualty claims director, said: "If we didn't challenge this issue in court, then the compensation payments for the victims that were negligently exposed to asbestos would have been either