Fatal Accidents Act

Rix v Paramount Shopfitting Co Ltd and the effect on dependency claims

Will Young looks at quantification of dependency claims under the Fatal Accidents Act after a mesothelioma case, Rix v Paramount Shopfitting Co Ltd, is heard in the Court of Appeal. The Deceased in this case, Mr Rix, was exposed to asbestos by the Defendant in the 1970s. He developed mesothelioma and died in 2016 aged 60. His widow brought a claim against the Defendant under the FAA for damages including a claim for loss of financial dependency. The background In the High Court, the Defendant had argued that there was no loss of dependency as the Claimant had inherited the business, which remained profitable after Mr Rix’s death (indeed it had become more so). Hence it was said that there…

News 13 Dec, 2021