Payout Offered by Kubota for Mesothelioma Victims

Article Added April 20th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story

Machinery manufacturer Kubota has, without accepting blame, offered a compensation plan to residents around the company’s plant in Amagasaki, in the Hyogo Prefecture.

Those residents who have developed mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases, will receive benefits for health plans and long term care according to the new plan. Since the company has not formally declared a direct link between the diseases and the plant, the decision to pay residents in the area is rare. No law suits have been filed against the plant or company as of this time. Corporate responsibility was cited as the reason for offering the compensation without legal cause. Relief money, ranging from 25 to 46 million yen, will be given to residents or families of deceased residents that have or had mesothelioma, or other asbestos-related illnesses. The victims age and family structure will decide the individual payout amount.

Asbestos from the company was emitted into the air from the plant. The deadly material is often used in machine parts, insulation or industrial lubricants. The fibers of the material are only hazardous after agitation, such as being moved or used in an industrial capacity. The fibers then enter the lungs and attached to the lining there, called the mesothelial cells. This cells then cannot retain oxygen, and die. Mesothelioma can often take years or decades to detect, and is often untreatable at the time of detection.

Article Added April 20th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story