Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2012 December 5 - 11 [WELFARE]

Court orders state to compensate asbestos victims

The Tokyo District Court on December 5 ordered the government to pay about 1.06 billion yen in compensation for asbestos-induced health problems to 170 victims, nearly half of the plaintiffs in a Tokyo lawsuit.

The 337-member group of plaintiffs in the Tokyo lawsuit consisted of bereaved families and construction workers suffering health effects such as lung cancer from exposure to asbestos at building sites in the Tokyo metropolitan area. They sought compensation from the state and 42 building-products makers.

The judge acknowledged that the government had failed to take preventive measures such as wearing protective masks until 1981 despite knowing the health risks of asbestos already in 1972, and that such measures could have lessened the negative health effects to a large extent.

The judge, however, refused to acknowledge that the individual makers had been responsible, and rejected the claim of self-employed builders on the ground that the Industrial Safety and Health Act excludes them from legal protection.


Related past articles
> Court confirms state responsibility for asbestos-linked death at U.S. military base [July 7, 2009]
> Court orders state to pay damages for asbestos exposure [May 20 and 21, 2010]
> Court orders state to compensate for asbestos-induced health claims [March 29, 2012]
> District court rejects asbestos victims’ demand for damages [May 26, 2012]
> Court orders Kubota to compensate for asbestos damage [August 8 and 9, 2012]