Asbestos victim with mesothelioma from home renovations beats James Hardie liability appeal

An Adelaide man suffering terminal cancer from breathing in asbestos dust has defeated an appeal against his compensation claim — but will receive $850,000 less than in the original judgement.

Father-of-three Mathew Werfel will receive $2.23 million in compensation from the company that used to be James Hardie, instead of the $3.08 million awarded by the South Australian Employment Tribunal last year.

In a judgement handed down yesterday, the Full Court of the Supreme Court of South Australia upheld the tribunal’s…