LAWYERS representing asbestos victims say they have been inundated with calls from potential claimants following a court ruling earlier this week.

On Tuesday, the High Court in Newcastle ruled that workers with so-called pleural plaques on their lungs, caused by exposure to asbestos, could continue to claim compensation.

It followed a failed attempt by the insurers to halt compensation for people with this form of industrial disease.

Thompson Solicitors, the firm which acted for claimants in the case, reports its offices in the region have been bombarded with calls from people wanting more information about their rights, including calls from many former shipyard workers. In response to the demand, the firm is producing a factsheet giving basic information about the ruling and the implications for compensation claims.

Asbestos - Your Rights to Claim Compensation, sets out what the insurance industry argued, what the High Court ruled, and what the implications are for people diagnosed with the condition.

The court rejected the insurers' argument that because pleural plaques - scarring of the lungs - are usually symptomless, it is not an injury.

Claimants' lawyers argued that having pleural plaques caused psychological distress because in a small minority of cases it can be a prelude to a more serious asbestos-related condition such as mesothelioma.

Andrew McDonald, of Thompson's Middlesbrough branch, said: "If people have a condition caused by exposure to asbestos then our factsheet is aimed at explaining where the law now stands."

Anyone wishing to obtain a factsheet can call 0800 587 1272.