International industry group obtains favorable results against asbestos related claims in French Labor Court

Client(s) International group

The French labor court released a favorable decision in favor of an international industry group represented by Jones Day in connection with claims by almost 150 former employees for anxiety of developing an asbestos-related disease, due to their alleged past exposure to asbestos at work.

Award of damages in these types of cases are often automatic when claimants have worked on a site officially classified by the State as having asbestos related activity, as is the case here. However, the French labor court rejected the claims of more than 75 percent of the claimants for this site and those who were awarded damages received less than 15 percent of their original demand.

Jones Day also represented the group before French social security entities and courts in connection with certain former employees' requests for acknowledgment of asbestos occupational diseases as well as provided advice with respect to challenging the current classification of the concerned site as an establishment formerly involving asbestos-related activities, and entitling former employees to early retirement packages, before the French Ministry of Labor.