French Employers Lose Asbestos Battle

Business Insurance Wire reports that France's highest court, the Court of Cassation, has ruled that 29 companies that were contesting their liability for asbestos claims must in fact compensate their former employees for asbestos related illnesses. The employers involved in the various lawsuits included cement companies, automotive parts manufacturers and Alcatel S.A., a large telecommunications company. The court ruled that, 'the employer has a safety obligation, notably with regard to work-related illnesses contracted by the employee due to products made or used by the business.'This ruling...