Plans to scrap Companies House records could jeopardise justice for dying workers

Companies House (BETA) is a database which provides public access to thousands of records relating to various companies. For many years, the database has aided seriously ill workers or bereaved families who are bringing claims against negligent employers.

Companies House have announced plans to erase details relating to dissolved businesses after a period of six years.  

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is opposing the plans on the premise that workers and families may never see justice served. Work records often provide vital pieces of information required for inquests, and they are frequently useful for solidifying successful outcomes for Claimants.

Neil Sugarman, president of APIL, commented on the proposals saying:

'There is no possible reason or motivation for deleting company records which supersede the need to access information on the behalf of vulnerable individuals.'

Victims of asbestos related diseases, such as mesothelioma, could be hit the hardest. Workers are dying as a result of asbestos exposure taken place during their employment. Their exposure often goes back as far as the 1980s. Many of the relevant companies will have been dissolved years ago and if the plans go ahead their records would no longer be accessible.

The records also assist in finding the relevant insurance policies which are vital to bringing claims against employers for negligence.

By Rebecca Foster, Paralegal

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