Japan gov't, plaintiffs of asbestos suits agree on settlement

The Japanese government and plaintiffs in lawsuits over damages caused by asbestos agreed Tuesday on a settlement after the Supreme Court held the state liable for lung cancer and other illnesses contracted by construction workers exposed to the material.The plaintiffs signed an agreement with health minister Norihisa Tamura after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga offered an apology in a meeting with them and their lawyers in four suits on which the top court ruled the previous day.The ruling said the state was negligent in its duty to protect construction workers from contracting the diseases.…READ FULL ARTICLE