More legal aid for OP sheep dip claim
More legal aid for OP sheep dip claim
FARMERS who believe they were poisoned by organophosphate sheep dips are to receive new legal aid funding for compensation claims.
This decision by the Legal Services Commission to revive funding marks a dramatic transformation from last autumn when the case seemed dead and buried.
At that time London-based lawyers, unable to find enough evidence to prove a link between OPs and illness, advised that further legal aid could not be justified.
However, the case was taken up by Herefordshire and Powys solicitors Gabb & Co which persuaded the commission to revive funding after an appeal last Friday.
Gabb & Co is representing around 20 clients and is involved in a generic group action on behalf of sheep farmers against employers and manufacturers.
Lis Charles, Gabb & Co senior partner, said it was not too late for other people who believe OPs have damaged their health and are eligible for legal aid to join the action.
Those not eligible for legal aid could look to insurance, she suggested, while previous claimants who agreed to discontinue actions should re-examine their agreements she added.
Gabb & Co will go to the High Court in London in the summer to contest an attempt by defendants to strike out the claim. *