Inventor Sues James Hardie for Millions

February 1, 2007 - A dying inventor who says he contracted mesothelioma due to exposure to James Hardie products, has initiated civil proceedings in the Victorian (Australia) Supreme Court against Amaca Pty Ltd, a former James Hardie subsidiary, and asbestos distributor Seltsam Pty Ltd, formerly Wunderlich.

Tim Lacone, age 58, is seeking damages for pain and suffering, economic loss and reduced life expectancy.  His lawyers will argue that Lacone invented a filtration system that they claim had the potential to reap tens of millions of dollars in Lacone’s lifetime. 

An article in the Melbourne Courier-Mail reports that Justice Bill Gillard told a panel of jury candidates earlier this week that Mr. Lacone was “exposed to asbestos dust and fibers while building a fernery, glasshouse and home between 1967 and 1974 at his Melbourne property.”

"He alleges that both defendants were negligent in selling those products on the market without, in a sense, warning consumers of the likely outcome if one was to inhale asbestos dust and fibers," Justice Gillard said in a statement to the media.