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Claiming compensation
If you have a disability which you think was caused by the drug
thalidomide, there are things you can do to try to get financial
compensation for your injury.
Where the money comes from
Thalidomide was sold in the UK, under the brand name Distaval, by Distillers (Biochemicals) Ltd. The drug was withdrawn in 1961 and the first private compensation settlements were made by Distillers in 1968.
Five years later, the Thalidomide Trust was set up to administer
additional payments made by Distillers and the UK Government to
provide for the needs of all those children whose disabilities were
agreed to have been caused by thalidomide and were otherwise eligible
(see conditions below). The majority of children affected would have
been born between the years 1958 and 1962.
After a series of mergers and takeovers, the moral responsibility
for ongoing payments to the Thalidomide Trust lies with Diageo
plc, which has promised to continue making payments until 2022.
Making a claim
Before someone can apply for compensation for thalidomide injury, at least one of the following conditions must be met:
- they were born in the United Kingdom
- their mother took the drug in the United Kingdom during pregnancy
- their mother took the drug during pregnancy and on 22nd February, 1973 living permanently in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Kenya, Republic of South Africa, Canada, Cyprus, Jamaica or the Republic of Ireland
It's also necessary that the trustees of the Thalidomide Trust are of the opinion that the person suffers from a congenital disability as a result of their mother having taken thalidomide during pregnancy. This may involve the person having to undergo a medical assessment at some time.
The Manchester-based solicitors Pannone & Partners have worked with a number of thalidomide-disabled claimants in the past.
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