The courts will decide how much compensation should be paid to miners who have been exposed to asbestos this week.
Miners who have been exposed to asbestos but do not suffer from illnesses such as asbestosis or mesothelioma should not be given huge compensation payouts, claim Norwich Union, Zurich and the Department for Trade and Industry.
The Manchester High Court will consider 11 cases to decide whether people with pleural plaques should be eligible for compensation.
Pleural plaques are small flat discs of rubbery material that form on the pleura, the lubricated double membrane between the lungs and ribcage.
An insurance spokesman said: “We are bringing these cases to establish if the UK legal system really should give compensation for conditions with no symptoms and no impairment of quality of life."
The claimant's lawyers argue that the pleural plaques amount to evidence of physical damage and victims tend to suffer anxiety because of the asbestos cancer risk.
