Japan court compensates asbestos victim’s family

TOKYO, July 6, 2009 (AFP) – A Japanese court on Monday ordered the state to pay 76 million yen (800,000 dollars) to the family of a former US military base employee who died of lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos.

The district court outside Tokyo ruled the government, which hires local workers to support US forces, had failed to take appropriate safety measures even though it realised the risk of exposure to the dangerous material.

Hitoshi Taima worked at the US naval base in Yokosuka south of Tokyo for 18 years until 1995 and was exposed to carcinogens as he handled asbestos while working on air conditioning and ventilation systems, according to the ruling.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2006 and filed the suit the following year but died 10 days after filing at age 51.

Presiding judge Haruhiko Sakae ordered that the government pay the compensation to his surviving relatives.

The victim’s wife, Mieko, said she was “really glad to see the ruling” which established the government had been negligent.

“I want to tell my husband that his death was not in vain,” she said.

Japan’s defence ministry said it had not decided whether to appeal. It said in a statement: “The government could not get the understanding of the court for its position.”

Asbestos was used extensively in Japan as an insulation material and in roof tiles until the mid-1980s, when it was banned after doctors warned of its health risks. –Manila Bulletin