Mesothelioma Litigation

An Australian court recently gave a mesothelioma victim a more than $1 million asbestos award.

Eric King was awarded the money after the Victorian Supreme Court determined that he was exposed to asbestos in 1972 at a James Hardie factory in Western Australia, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

King's asbestos lawyer told the news source that James Hardie attempted to have the jury dismissed a number of times.

"This is a case where every issue was in dispute, from James Hardie's duty of care, to its breach of duty of care, to the cause of the cancer and the damages claim by Mr. King. So every issue was hard fought," the mesothelioma lawyer said. "James Hardie sought on three occasions to override the jury's discretion to make a decision in relation to Mr. King."

Many factory workers were exposed to asbestos as the naturally occurring substance was once widely used in a variety of industries as an insulator and flame retardant. However, it was proven by the mid-1960s that exposure to the naturally occurring substance could cause not only the rare cancer malignant mesothelioma but asbestosis and lung cancer as well.