It is the first ruling on a case involving lung disease linked to employment at a shipyard, according to the plaintiffs' lawyers.

Sixteen plaintiffs -- nine former employees aged 70 to 86 and seven relatives of three deceased workers -- had sought a total of ¥400 million in compensation from Sumitomo Heavy, arguing they contracted pneumoconiosis by working at its Uraga and Oppama shipyards in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, between 1939 and 1996.

Presiding Judge Teruo Takayanagi certified all 12 former workers, including the three deceased, as having contracted pneumoconiosis and awarded them ¥15.4 million to ¥27.5 million each, saying the company "failed to meet all responsibilities" in providing its employees with masks and information on the disease.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 4, 2006
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