Family of late Japanese electrician awarded 30 million yen after mesothelioma death
Kenji Fujiwara was an electrician at Chubu Electric Power Company in Japan who died of malignant mesothelioma in 2006 after his 2005 diagnosis. His family was recently awarded 30 million yen in compensation by Nagoya District Court Presiding Judge Toshiro Tamiya, acknowledging that Chubu Electric Power Company failed to observe its safety obligations. During Fujiwara’s time working as an electrician for the power company between 1958 and 1999, he engaged in turbine trial runs at thermal power stations as well as other operations.
The ruling states that companies must meet safety obligations for their workers at facilities that use asbestos, even if the employees do not directly handle the asbestos. This could be significant for other cases that are currently being contested in court.
For the full story, go to The Mainichi Daily.
