In Victoria, Australia, the Asbestos Related Diseases Support (GARDS) group has welcomed recent changes to Victorian law for asbestos victims. The new laws will allow Victorians who already have received compensation for asbestosis the right to seek further compensation should they later develop mesothelioma and asbestos-related cancers. Prior to the change, if a person made a claim for asbestosis, he or she could not receive further compensation for mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer. “It has been like trying to second guess whether you should or should not make a claim now or wait till later in case the unspeakable happens,” GARDS secretary Vicki Hamilton said. According to GARDS, the new changes, for which the group lobbied, bring Victoria into line with the other states that already allow recovery for both diseases.
For the full story, go to Australia’s Latrobe Valley Express.
