4,000 Seek Compensation For Asbestos Related Damages -- MesoLink.org -- 06-23-06

Reports put together by officials in Japan have shown that thousands of people are seeking compensation for asbestos related damages, and that around 4,000 have applied for financial relief since the middle of March, when new legislation was announced.

Around three quarters of the claims that have been filed have been from people that lived close to plants and sites that produced asbestos or plants that manufactured products that contained asbestos. Just over 300 claimants have so far been deemed eligible to receive financial assistance for medical treatment or compensation for the death of loved ones.

New legislation was announced in the light of information provided by Kubota Corp last year, which brought the problem of asbestos related heath problems and fatalities to attention. The Corp admitted that the asbestos used in its plant could have caused health problems in the direct and surrounding communities.

The new legislation will help those that are not already covered by worker’s compensation insurance, and allows for financial help for medical treatment stemming from asbestos related exposure as well as condolence money for those who have lost loved ones.