Michelin Guilty of Negligence in Asbestos Suit

November 16, 2006 - Michelin, a well-known maker of automobile tires and other rubber products, has been found guilty in a French court of “inexcusable negligence for exposing workers to dangerous levels of asbestos.”

The International Herald, published in Europe, reports that a court in Clermont-Ferrand found in favor of a former Michelin employee and the widows of three deceased employees who are/were all victims of the asbestos-caused cancer, mesothelioma.

The workers were all employed at Michelin, located in Clermont-Ferrand, during the 1960s and 1970s.  Their lawsuit alleged that the company knew about the dangers of working with asbestos as early as 1965 but did nothing to protect their employees. 

Jean-Paul Teissonniere, the lawyer for the group of plaintiffs, told the International Herald that it was the job of these men to insulate 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) of pipes with asbestos each month.  This work continued until 1973. 

CAPER, a group that represents and supports those who worked with asbestos, deemed the ruling “psychologically important for workers exposed to asbestos.” The workers or their families will now be entitled to disability payments twice as high as before, the group said.

Michelin representatives had no immediate comment about the ruling but the company has denied any cover-up associated with asbestos.