A class-action lawsuit filed by former workers and bereaved families in Kanagawa Prefecture and elsewhere seeking damages from a building material manufacturer. One of the six defendants apologized and paid a settlement fee, and a settlement was reached with some plaintiffs.
The Supreme Court issued a ruling in May recognizing the liability of the government and some building material manufacturers for compensation. settlements are underway with the government in various places, but disputes with manufacturers continue, plaintiffs' lawyers say. "This is the first settlement in a case in which a worker who is not a subcontractor of a manufacturer, such as a so-called'single parent,' is the plaintiff," Takao Nishimura said.