Japanese Factory Owner (Kubota) Held Liable for Mesothelioma Death of a Person Who Worked Near the Factory
A Japanese newspaper brings news that a trial court in Japan (Kobe District Court) has just held Kubota Corporation liable to pay about 32 million yen (about $ 407,000) for the mesothelioma death of an 80 year old man who worked close to Kubota's factory which used amphibole fibers. The government also was a defendant, but was exonerated. The judge ruled against a second mesothelioma plaintiff, a woman who shopped and lived in a wider area.
Asbestos use in Japan is chronicled at length in Asbestos Disaster: Lessons from Japan's Experience by Kenichi Miyamoto, Morinaga Kenji, and Mori Hiroyuki. The World Asbestos Report includes much more detail on Kubata and asbestos.
